


Left Behind But Not For Long

by meyari



Series: Left Behind But Not For Long [1]
Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-13
Updated: 2010-09-13
Packaged: 2017-10-11 19:32:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 26
Words: 29,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/116128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meyari/pseuds/meyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being left behind when the others took an imposter instead of Jason was a shock to his system but Jason Todd had no intention of letting it stop him from getting home again.  No matter how long it took he'd get back where he belonged and then the imposter who had stolen his place was going to pay for what he'd done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

As far as Jason was concerned the most fucking annoying thing about being left behind when the others went onwards was the knowledge that they were with another version of him with them. Who knew what the hell that version would do? He could fuck with Jason's life. Hell, given the world he'd come from he'd probably go off and start killing people.

The fucker had had the nerve to knock Jason out right before they shifted worlds, and strip his fucking clothes off. Unfortunately for Jason, the asshole had distracted the others until it was too late. For all Jason knew he'd managed to fool them all the way home, not that it mattered. He was going to get back where he belonged, one way or the other.

Of course, not all the Jason's in the Multiverse were life-thieves. Case in point, the Jason of the world that he'd been sucked into when he scrambled to try and stop the others. At least he'd lucked out there. Jay, as the other Jason preferred to be called, came from a really high tech world and he had fucking brains. Seriously good brains, though Jay was fond of reminding Jason that they had the same damned brains. Jason just flipped him off when he said it because yeah, duh. That didn't mean he wanted to admit it when he got home. Might damage his image. If he had one left when he got there.

"Okay," Jay said while tweaking the last bit of wiring in Jason's new equipment belt. "I think we have everything. Do you understand what you need to do?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jason said. "This is just a test. Go one world over and then come right back so we can calibrate the fucking rig."

"Exactly," Jay said. He glared at Jason for the obscenity, which still made Jason's skin crawl a little. A Jason that did not swear profusely was no Jason at all in his mind. Of course, he did have reasons for watching his tongue, which Jason could understand. "The sooner we get you out of my world and back to your own, the better."

" I totally agree with that," Jason said. "Better yet, the sooner I get that fucking creep out of _my_ world and me back in it, the better."

Jay nodded agreement. He looked really damned grim about what their double might have done. Given the fucked up world that one had come from, it really was a worry. Jason strapped on the rig, making sure with Jay that it was functioning properly and comfortable before taking a deep breath. Hopefully it would work. Everything Jay had taught him through brain downloads and months' worth of explanations while building the thing said it should.

"Remember," Jay said, "you'll always be able to come back here if you need to. Don't hesitate to come back if something goes wrong. And don't take off the gauntlet. That's the only thing that will keep you from disrupting other worlds where you exist. No causing a multiversal collapse!"

"Yeah, I know," Jason snapped at him. "Trust me, I got it. You've only said it a fucking million times."

"Are you arguing with yourself again?" Tim asked from the stairs to the mansion.

"Yes," Jason and Jay snarled at the same time.

Tim laughed, shaking her head at them. Jason did his best not to drool at Jay's version of Tim. This Tim was all woman and a stacked one at that. She smirked at him. Even after he'd been here for months he still reacted to seeing Tim with tits and hips. Her hair was as short as his Tim's ever was and she had the muscles to be one hell of an effective Robin, but there was just something about her that turned his crank every time he saw her. The whole gender bent thing did it for him for some reason.

"Go on," Jay growled at him. "Get it in gear so we can get on with our lives."

"Yeah, I know," Jason said. He sighed, checked the controls on his belt one last time and then licked his lips. "This better not fucking blow me up or I'll come back and haunt your ass."

"There's no such thing as ghosts," Jay grumbled.

"Sure." Jason drawled the world until it was at least five times its proper length. "Like we aren't already ghosts. See you soon!"

He triggered the device and then cursed a blue streak as the world jerked violently around him. It wasn't the smooth transition that he had experienced before. This transition was abrupt and seriously nauseating. Jason didn't let it throw him off balance. He took a breath and looked around, trying to place where he was.

Instead of being in the Batcave, Jason was standing on a rooftop in the middle of Gotham city. It wasn't his Gotham or even the Gotham that he'd just left. This one was in ruins. Every building around him was covered with ivy and vines. It was hot and humid, like being in a jungle, which he actually was given all the plants overgrowing the area. The roof he was standing on was seriously unstable, which made Jason switch down to whispered curses of awe.

"It fucking worked," Jason breathed. He hit the return button and returned to Jay's world, grinning so widely that his face hurt. "It worked!"

"Halle-fucking-lujah," Jay sighed. He collapsed back into the control chair. "So was that home?"

"Nope, not even close," Jason said. "Look more like a world where humanity died. Everything was in ruins, overgrown. Didn't see a single person. Nothing but plants, bugs and birds that I could see."

"So you're heading out?" Tim asked with her head cocked to the side in the exact way to make both Jason and Jay's cocks fill out their pants.

"Well, yeah," Jason said while licking his lips. "Unless, you know, you want to say goodbye. Or something."

Tim grinned. She raised an eyebrow at Jay. He growled and crossed his arms on his chest but he didn't say no or anything. Tim blew a kiss at him and then came over to stand in front of Jason. She looked so much like his Tim despite being a girl. He'd flirted with her endlessly over the time he'd spent here but it had never come to anything. Tim had her Jay. She didn't need Jason too. Even though Tim taking it from both ends would have been fucking hot.

"Good luck," Tim whispered.

She went up on tiptoes and caught Jason's face, pulling him down into a kiss that made him groan and tremble against the urge to crush her in his arms. He did grab her hips and squeeze. She moaned into his mouth, pressing forward to kiss him more deeply. It was oh so right and oh so very wrong at the same time. Jason pulled back, licking his lips. His erection was dying because as sexy as she was, she wasn't his Tim.

"Thanks," Jason murmured.

"When you find him," Tim murmured, "do me a huge favor and bring him here so I can meet him. I'd really like to meet a male version of me. And I _know_ that the two of you would love to see the two of us making out."

She stepped back and laughed at Jason's heart-felt cursing. Tim went and sat in Jay's lap, smirking at Jason. Her Jay was looking at her curiously, so obviously she hadn't shared that particular little wet dream with him.

"That is one evil damn bitch," Jason grumbled as he adjusted his pants.

"She can be," Jay agreed with obvious pride. "What this time?"

"Boy Tim plus Girl Tim plus sexy times with us watching," Jason explained.

Jay swallowed hard and went beet red. Tim grinned at Jay, turned and winked at Jason, obviously completely unrepentant at having turned them both on so badly that their brains were leaking out of their ears. Jason shook his head at her before adjusting the controls on his belt so that he'd land about twenty-five feet to the right, hopefully on the street instead of on top of a collapsing building.

"See you around," Jason said with a causal wave. "Fuck her through the mattress for that, will you?"

Jason didn't stick around to hear Jay's response. Tim's laughter followed him through the jump to the next world. He sighed and looked around at the overgrown buildings surrounding him. It might not be the smoothest method of transportation but at least he was finally on his way home.

"Let's see how many 'verses it takes to get back home," Jason murmured.


	2. Without Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sixteen worlds into his search for home, Jason hits a world where he can actually pause and reflect.

Sixteen worlds into his search for home, Jason checked his gauntlet and raised an eyebrow. The constant red light had changed to green. Instead of making him relax, it made his stomach clench. Red meant that he existed in that particular world, in one form or another. The world where he'd been leader of a pack of werewolves had cured him of the belief that every Jason was like him. Green, on the other hand, meant that he had never been born in that particular 'verse.

"Huh," Jason grunted as he pulled his sleeve down over the gauntlet. "So I don't exist here."

His normal modus operandi was to verify that he was there, do some basic checks to see if Gotham existed and then determine if Bruce had become Batman or not. So far this was the first world without him, though he'd found many variations of no Gotham and / or Bruce not becoming Batman. He looked around, wondering exactly what to do next. Logic said move on but he couldn't help but be curious about what a world without Jason Todd was like.

"So, is there a Gotham and is there a Bat?" Jason murmured.

He headed to a payphone on the corner, smiling at the phonebook dangling below it. Phonebooks were fucking useful, he'd found. It was battered and worn but still quite readable. He was in Gotham, though of course it wasn't the Gotham he knew. A quick check showed that Wayne Industries existed, which showed him that Bruce was probably alive as well, though that one world where Bruce Wayne had been killed outside the opera told him not to assume anything.

A department store was across the street. Jason nodded and headed over to it, going inside to casually stroll through the electronics department. Televisions of all sizes showed images of sunlit beaches and mountain scenes. One of the computers was set up so that people could test it out. Jason smiled to find that it was connected to the Internet. A quick search turned up over fourteen hundred hits for Batman. A second search for Robin turned up over sixteen hundred.

Jason wiped the cache and left before the hovering store security goon could throw him out on his ass. The phone book told him the location of Gotham's central library. The computers there were way more limited in their searches but he spent a couple of hours going through the scanned newspapers to figure out what this Batman and Robin were like.

Different didn't quite cover it. They were all older than Jason had expected. Steph appeared to be the first Robin. She'd become Batgirl and then Batwoman after Barb had her 'accident' with the Joker. Dick never became a Robin at all. He was a rising star in the Cirque du Soliel. Tim had been Robin and then moved onto being Nightwing, which really bent Jason's brain. The demon spawn was obviously the current Robin. Most of the villains were the same, including the fucking Joker. Not much else seemed different, other than the order of the Robins and the whole Tim as Nightwing thing.

"Huh," Jason grunted as he studied a picture of Tim in his Nightwing getup doing a perfect high kick against some random gang-banger's jaw. "Not bad. Kind of hot, really."

One of the librarians gave him a hairy eyeball, which made Jason shrug and point at the screen. She looked as if it was against her better instincts and then laughed. Instead of glaring she nodded and patted Jason's shoulder while pushing her cart of books towards the stacks. Jason chuckled. Looked like Nightwing would always be a stud muffin, no matter who filled the suit.

Jason shut his computer down and left the library. It was early in his day so there was no reason to stick around here. He looked around at the current Gotham, setting it into his belt as a possible safe place to retreat to. Once that was done he sighed and stretched.

"Back to the hunt," Jason said. "I sure as hell don't belong here."


	3. Crying Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most worlds weren't that bad, really. They were just variations on the same old themes. The ones that weirded Jason out were the ones where something went seriously fucking wrong way the hell back when and the world turned out… different.

Most worlds weren't that bad, really. They were just variations on the same old themes. The ones that weirded Jason out were the ones where something went seriously fucking wrong way the hell back when and the world turned out… different. Seriously different. Like warped and turned into something out of a goddamned fairy tale.

"Don't fucking mind the lack of smog," Jason grumbled as he checked out the rustic little village that had to be this 'verse's version of Gotham, "but could they at least pave the fucking roads?"

The weird worlds were ones that he really ought to just leave as soon as he arrived but curiosity was turning out to be a major fucking failing for him. It was so damned hard to see the weirdness and then just leave. He wanted to know why and how things had gotten weird. Didn't seem likely that he'd figure it out this time but you never knew. Bruce's lessons in detective work had turned out to be pretty damned useful as he worked his way home.

At least he knew that he existed in this 'verse. The light on his gauntlet was a solid red with the proximity light flashing more and more urgently as he approached what had to be Wayne Manor. That at least looked pretty much the same, though with a hell of a lot more people around it than Jason was used to. It looked like a castle, not the isolated and lonely manor that he'd spent time in. He had to wonder what this Bruce was like if he lived in that place.

"Oh! You-you're a lot closer than I expected."

Jason started and then stared. "Uh, Tim?"

"I know," Tim complained while tugging at the hem of his obnoxiously red, green and gold stripped tunic. "There's a stupid party tonight and Prince Bruce said that I have to go to it but I wanted to… I didn't expect to see you here, not so close."

"I… think you've got the wrong guy," Jason said slowly. "Looks kind of like me but not quite?"

They both turned as a deep husky growl echoed out of the shrubbery. Jason swallowed a laugh at the Jason who emerged. He had wolf ears on his head and a wolf's tail bristling behind him. Plus fangs that showed really damned clearly how jealous he was of Tim as he snarled at Jason. Tim stared at Jason, then at the wolf-Jason and then hurried over to the wolf-Jason. He took wolf-Jason's hand in a gesture that had to be unconscious. Timmy never showed that much emotion unless he was totally freaked out. Which he might be given that he had two Jasons in front of him.

"Who are you?" wolf-Jason demanded while pushing Tim safely behind him.

"Nobody, man," Jason said a little sadly. "Just lost and trying to find my way home. You probably oughta get out of here. Don't want to get caught, you know? Can't imagine that the goons up in the castle want you around Timmy. Not the right type, I'm sure."

"You're not going to turn him in, are you?" Tim demanded, very much like Robin. "He hasn't done anything wrong. I sought him out, not the other way around. He's helped me with my work, made things easier. He's not a bad wolf at all!"

"Nope," Jason said while changing the settings on his belt to keep him from coming back here. "Just trying to find my way home to my little bird. Take care of him. He needs you more than you might realize."

He said it to Tim, not to wolf-Jason. Wolf-Jason yipped and his ears went back against his skull in dismay. Jason grinned at him, waved a casual salute at the two of them and triggered his belt. Definitely not home but at least it was one more 'verse ruled out.

"Prince Timmy and the Big Bad Wolf, huh?" Jason chuckled once he arrived in the next world, which looked much closer to home. "Wonder what the story was behind that little meeting."

He laughed and headed up the street to find a phone book or library or something. Maybe he would go back sometime, just to find his opposite and see what the story was. Could be entertaining someday.


	4. Death With Honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason was no stranger to being shot at but he really hated it when he was shot at because he was in the wrong place at the wrong fucking time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character death, of the permanent kind.

Jason was no stranger to being shot at but he really hated it when he was shot at because he was in the wrong place at the wrong fucking time. He arrived in the middle of a fucking firefight, though not the sort that he was used to. Huge plumes of smoke erupted when the volley of shots went off to his right.

"Fuck!" Jason gasped, running towards the trees along the side of the field he'd arrived in.

Bullets whizzed around him, making him curse loudly while silently blessing his jacket's hidden armor. He could still get his ass killed but it wouldn't be as easy. Once he dove under a log in the hope that it would protect him against the worst of the gunfire, Jason took the time to look at the armies he'd landed in front of.

"Holy hell," Jason breathed. "The fucking Napoleonic wars? Man, that sucks ass!"

He rolled onto his side so that he could set his belt to forever exclude this 'verse and then leave, but a gurgling whimper stopped him before he could push the button. Jason looked, knowing he really shouldn't, that he'd fucking regret it for the rest of his damned life. Tim, in a bright British uniform and blood-soaked ponytail looked back at him. Several bloody holes gaped in his chest, along with a huge one in his gut. A puddle of blood was soaking into the earth underneath him, feeding the old tree he'd hidden behind to die.

"Fuck," Jason sighed.

He rolled to his knees and scrambled over, staying low so that a random bullet didn't take his skull out. Alfred had told him about how inaccurate those damned muskets were when he was new to the manor and curious about the old one that Bruce had over the mantle piece. They weren't accurate at all but they could still kill Jason if he was unlucky.

"End it," Tim whispered. "Can't… let them… capture me."

"Hell," Jason sighed as he checked Tim's wounds. "You're not going to make it, are you? Even if I got you out of here, you wouldn't make it."

Tim laughed painfully. Blood bubbled on his lips. He shook his head no, wincing as Jason took his hand. It wasn't his Tim. He was a little younger and his hair was a slightly different shade, edging towards brown, but the eyes were the same, and the nose, and the chin. Tim's strength and determination shone in his eyes despite the way he was slowly dying in front of Jason.

"I'm sorry," Jason said, raising Tim's hand to press a kiss against his knuckles. "I wish I could save you."

Tim flushed faintly though his expression was utterly dismayed. Jason grinned involuntarily at him, enjoying having scandalized Tim even though in his heart he wanted to scream and kill every fucking one of the soldiers. He hadn't yet found a high tech world without a Tim in it, so there was no way to take him to another world where modern medicine could save him. No matter how much he hated this, he couldn't risk destroying a world just to save a random Timmy.

Jason laid Tim's hand on his chest and pulled out his gun. Tim's face went very pale but the scandalized expression faded into pure gratitude. He could hear the way every breath was sucking through the bullet holes. Punctured lungs, probably collapsed, as well as gut trauma. Tim had to be in agony. When Jason had died it had been so fucking painful, so hard. He'd prayed for someone to save him, for someone to make the pain stop. Death with honor was so much better than death in agony and fear. Still, putting his gun to Tim's forehead was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

"Goodbye, Timmy," Jason whispered.

He was on his feet and pressing the button on his belt before the retort echoed out of the trees around them. Jason deliberately picked the first world, the one with no people at all, the one where he was a fucking walking tree transformed from human by Poison Ivy's work, to go and scream until the tears stopped.


	5. Fame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I am _not_ a fucking movie star!"

"I am _not_ a fucking movie star!"

Jason shouted the words back at the small horde of fangirls that were chasing him for his autograph, his underwear or maybe his soul. He wasn't sure. From the way they were behaving it could be any or all of the above. They just squealed at him, which made Jason stretch his legs and dart through traffic to escape them. Honking cars and a near miss with a semi were a small price to pay to escape the girl's fanaticism.

He kept running, snatching a baseball cap from one store display and a pair of sunglasses from another. Once he'd ripped off the tags and gotten them on, Jason ducked into an alley, ran down it and then carefully, casually, sauntered out the other end. There was no way he was going to let anyone catch him, but why the hell those girls thought he was 'OMG, Jason _Todd_!' was something he had to figure out if only to save his fucking sanity.

The answer came as he skirted the edge of a mall when he passed by a display of movie posters.

Smack in the middle of them with showings at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:45, 2:00, 3:15, 6:45, 7:00, 9:00, plus a special showing at midnight, was a poster showing his face as the hero of Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Jason stared, his jaw dropped open in complete and utter disbelief. He took off the glasses, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. Still there. Still an actor. And still holding the fucking fake prop gun in a way that would have gotten his damned head blown off if it was real.

"No fucking way," Jason mumbled. "No fucking goddamned way am I an actor in this 'verse."

He headed into the mall against his better sense, locating the little mall bookstore with ease. The variety section of magazines had half a dozen covers with his face on them. Most talked about the rising young star and his incredible acting skills. A few talked about drinking problems and possible mental issues. One scandal rag was full of articles about this Jason's affairs with Steph Brown, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, and possibly even his agent Bruce Wayne. The movie itself was rated anywhere from a dismal one star to five stars, depending on if the reviewer was one of the old fashioned types or a popularist.

"That is so fucking wrong," Jason grumbled.

He left the store and headed back to the movie theatre. He couldn't resist actually watching the damned thing. The ticket was fucking expensive, though it was nothing compared to Jason's tub of popcorn and Coke. His money was accepted without comment though he suspected that someone was going to notice that it wasn't 'real' eventually. Once he had snacks, Jason settled down in the very back row, as close as he could get to the exit without being obvious. This he had to see.

"Oh God," Jason groaned once the movie was over and the credits rolled. "What a waste of two hours!"

"If you didn't like it you should have left," one of the other movie-goers hissed at him while leaving.

"Yeah, yeah," Jason snorted at her. "I lost track of how many times he should have shot himself with that damned gun."

He ducked into the bathroom to use the facilities and then triggered his belt from inside the stall. That was one world he knew not to bother with. Jason Todd, actor, was not worth the time of day. Of course, he was pretty sure that most of the fans (it had been almost all girls in the audience) weren't watching because they liked the acting. Jason's costar Timothy Drake was the real draw, not that Jason thought he had a chance with that Tim. From the look of it, this Jason had his Tim well in hand, or maybe it was the other way around, given that bunker scene.

Jason was pretty sure that they'd had to cut out a passionate, unplanned kiss when they edited the footage. He knew the look of a well-kissed Timmy anywhere.


	6. Glimpse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severely injured Jason but no on-screen violence or death.

Todd slowly sauntered along the street, watching for Drake. This wasn't going to end well but sometimes you had to do what you had to do. Drake was on the right side of the law, one of the ones that everyone looked up to, unlike Todd. He hated the way things had gone but he didn't see that he had a choice. Drake had forgotten their past together. Todd knew that he'd never forget what they'd shared for one brilliant night, or their 'family' ties.

Light flashed from the alley ahead. A meaty thud echoed through the gathering fog.

Todd pulled his revolver and edged to the opening of the alley. The fallen goon was big, as big as Todd was. He had some sort of flashy costume jewelry thing on his arm. When the goon raised his face to look around Todd started cursing under his breath. Underneath the bruises, cut scalp dripping blood and the slip lip, it was his face, the face of Jason Todd.

"What the hell?" Todd demanded. "Who are you?"

The other Jason Todd blinked at him as if he was having a hard time focusing his eyes. When he levered himself to his feet it was obvious that he'd been beaten hard enough to kill. Todd automatically put the revolver away and went to support his twin. Probable broken ribs, likely concussion, and from the way he was standing on just one leg, maybe a broken kneecap and that was just for starters. He wasn't sure if the cuts littering the other Jason's body were from knives or claws. Either way they were nasty. His clothes, other than the heavy leather jacket, hung in rags off of his body.

"Fuck," the other Jason rasped. He swallowed, winced and rubbed his throat. The movement brought the bruises around his throat to Todd's attention. He'd been strangled too.

"You okay?" Todd asked.

"Will be," the other Jason said with a smirk that wasn't half cocky enough. "Just need to catch my breath. Damn. That was bad."

"Need help dealing with it?" Todd asked even though he knew it was a stupid fucking idea. He had no clue what the other Jason had gotten into or how to deal with it on top of his own problems.

"Nah," the other Jason said, shaking his head and then swaying so bad he nearly fell. "I'll be fine. I'm outta there and I got places to go to heal up."

They both went on alert as footsteps echoed from the street outside. The other Jason pulled a gun that looked as futuristic as his flashy gauntlet. Todd held his hand up to keep him from firing. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention right now. Too much was riding on this meeting.

"Todd?" Drake called quietly.

"Here," Todd called back.

The other Jason laughed a raspy, painful laugh as Drake appeared at the entrance to the alley. He was in uniform; all police blues with his shiny badge reflecting light like a beacon in the darkness. Drake's eyes went wide and then narrowed as he saw the other Jason. His hand rested on his revolver as he cautiously entered the alley.

"Who?" Drake asked with a jerk of his chin at the other Jason.

"Don't know," Todd said.

"Doesn't matter," the other Jason said. "I wasn't here. You didn't see me. I should go anyway. Don't want to mess things up."

"How do you know there's something to mess up?" Drake asked in his sharpest, harshest tone of voice.

The other Jason smiled so sadly that it made Todd shiver and cross himself in spite of his dropping the church ages ago after his mother's death. Drake frowned, taking several steps closer. He looked up into the other Jason's face as if he could see things there. Maybe he could. He'd always been the perceptive one of their 'family', though he'd never quite figured Todd out. Pity. Todd would have liked to be figured out, at least by Drake.

"You're Tim Drake," the other Jason said so gently that Todd blushed. It was like having his private feelings strewn about for anyone to see, especially when the other Jason raised a hand to brush a bloody thumb across Drake's cheek. "You're always involved in something dangerous. It's part of who you are, Timmy. Holds true everywhere I've been."

Drake opened his mouth to ask questions but the other Jason put a finger over his lips, silencing him.

"Can't tell you anyway," the other Jason said with so much love in his eyes that it fucking hurt to see. "Go on. Take care of your business. I wasn't here. You didn't see me."

The other Jason turned to Todd and smiled that grim, hurting smile again. "Take care of him. He needs it, even if he won't admit it."

"Yeah, I know," said Todd. "Sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine," the other Jason said. He flipped a hand at the two of them. "Go on. Get out of here."

Rather than argue the point Todd pulled Drake out of the alley and down the street. They both paused when there was another flash of light and a sound like nothing he'd ever heard before. It was kind of like a xylophone crossed with a gust of air, except much stranger. He didn't know what to make of it but he knew that if they went back the other Jason would be gone. There might be bloodstains but that would be it. Drake frowned at Todd, putting a tentative hand on his elbow.

"I don't need to be protected," Drake declared, though there was a fragile sort of hope in his eyes.

"Sure you don't, kid," Todd said with his best cocky smirk. It didn't feel as strong as normal. "Sure you don't. Now, did you get the info I asked for?"


	7. Mistaken Identity

Tim stormed out of the ballroom and out into the garden. There was absolutely no way he'd stay to listen to that, that lout explain. He'd come up with some sort of perfectly reasonable explanation for why he'd suddenly gotten engaged the Stephanie when just two days previously he'd sworn that he would do no such thing, all the while professing his undying admiration for Tim. All of Jason's explanations were perfectly reasonable while he was making them. It was only afterwards, one Tim wasn't looking into his eyes, that he could pick them apart and find all the ways that Jason had to be lying.

"It's… I can't… He's…!" Tim spluttered to himself while stomping through the maze behind the manor.

He truly had no cause to be upset. After all, Tim had agreed to marry Tam. That was purely a marriage of convenience of course, which both Tim and Tam understood. They were fond enough of each other that it would be comfortable, not some cold, feelingless arrangement. Jason understood that as well. A gentleman did what he had to, no matter what his heart cried out for.

Jason clearly had no heart or he wouldn't have been standing that close to Stephanie, looking down her bodice with such clear interest. Stephanie being Stephanie, she hadn't appeared to mind the attention at all, despite her long interest in Roy Harper, not that her parents would allow her to marry a widower with a small child. She could do much better, such as Jason Todd, ward of Lord Bruce Wayne.

"I thought…" Tim sighed and kicked a rock as he reached the center of the maze.

He'd been a fool to think anything. Jason was a cad, a charming, delightful, wonderful cad but a cad nonetheless. 'Gentleman' was a title applied to Jason only in jest, never in reality. Tim continued to scold himself while sitting on the edge of the fountain with his head in his hands. There was an odd shimmering sound which Tim completely ignored until he realized that he could hear footsteps and muffled cursing.

"The hell? Where am I?"

Tim bristled at hearing Jason's voice. Of course he would follow Tim. He bolted to his feet and stomped out into the maze to locate Jason and give him a piece of his mind. It was dark enough that Tim stumbled a couple of times but finding Jason was easy enough. He'd memorized the maze's layout quite some time ago, shortly after Bruce had adopted him.

"Don't even start," Tim snapped once he rounded the corner and confronted Jason. "I do not want to hear one word out of you. I thought that we… well, meant something. How could you? After everything you had to go and… yes, I know. You like Stephanie well enough and it's convenient but you can't just… lead her on that way!"

He waved his hands at Jason, who was staring at him with a dropped jaw that would almost have been comical another time. Tim was far too angry to notice it though a little voice in the back of his mind was commenting that the cut of his coat had changed somehow.

"You said not two days ago that we, I mean that you, that it wasn't…" Tim's voice trailed off as his normal inability to say anything cohesive about relationships and emotions kicked in. The urge to either haul Jason down for a desperate, messy kiss or punch him in the nose battled against his self-control.

"Hey," Jason said far too gently and with a great deal more confusion than he had any right to, "um, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Excuse me?" Tim asked. It wasn't dark enough in the garden yet for him to mistake that face.

"I'm kind of lost and just wanted to get out of this maze," Jason said. "You do know how to get out, don't you?"

Tim huffed and grabbed Jason's hand. If he wanted to play it that way, then fine. He hauled Jason through the maze, that portion of his mind starting to scream at the way Jason limped though he couldn't quite hear it over the irritation. Jason had no limp when dancing but now he was limping so badly that it seemed as if he could barely keep up with Tim's pace. He abruptly released Jason's hand when he got to the entrance.

Jason, the real Jason, was standing at the back door, looking worried and confused. Tim whirled to stare at the other Jason who shrugged. His clothes were bizarre, outlandish, but he looked just like Tim's Jason, other than a nasty split lip and black eye that were over halfway through the process of healing.

"See?" the other Jason said with a little shrug. "You might want to cut him some slack. He probably was just flirting. You know with that Stephanie girl you mentioned."

"Ah, yes, um, of course," Tim said, taking another step away from him. "My apologies. I shouldn't have…"

"Eh, it's fine," the other Jason said. "Go on and enjoy your party. Sure you got better things to do than talk to me."

Tim sketched a quick bow and hurried back to the back door. There was a flash of light and another shimmering sound but Tim didn't look back. His Jason, the real Jason, caught his shoulder in a firm grip once Tim reached his side.

"What happened?" Jason murmured. "Damian said that you were upset."

"Ah, well, I heard about Stephanie," Tim said, glaring into his Jason's eyes.

"Yeah," Jason said with disgust. "Bruce is throwing his money around again. He says he sees some potential in her and wants her in the 'family' so she can help with the Mission. Won't listen to me at all. A girl shouldn't be drawn into a war, no matter who she is."

Tim's cheeks went bright red. That was one thing he hadn't considered. Perhaps he had overreacted a tiny little bit. Jason chuckled and ran his thumb along the edge of Tim's collar, pressing just so. Tim shivered and shrugged the hand off rather than let Jason give him a highly inappropriate erection in his dress pants. That would show far too clearly and the scandal of that might destroy his engagement to Tam.

"Sorry. I just needed a quick turn about the garden," Tim said.

"Uh-huh," Jason grunted with his smirky grin. "So, they're about to play a reel. How about you grab Tam and I'll grab Stephanie and we can show them how it's done properly?"


	8. The Robins

"Hey, you're Jason Todd! You're one of the Robins!"

Jason stopped and turned slowly to look at the tween kid staring up at him. The kid had a really stacked woman with him, probably his mom or older sister. Instead of running the way he had from the fan girls a few dozen worlds back, Jason put on his cheesiest smile and temporarily abandoned his computer searches on the department store computer.

"You really think I look like him?" Jason asked.

"You're not him?" the kid asked with disappointment clear on his face.

"Nope, sorry," Jason said with a shrug. "Never been told that I look like him before. Kind of cool."

"You do sort of look like him," the woman said while patting the tween kid's shoulder. "The eyes are a little different and the nose, but yeah, you do resemble him. I think it's the jaw."

"Man, I was so sure I could get an autograph," the tween kid complained. He shrugged off the woman's hand and stomped off to rifle the DVD's.

Jason chuckled and wagged his eyebrows at the woman. She got an amused but wary expression as if she knew exactly what he was going to say before he said it. Given that Jason fully intended to go for the worst cliché pick up lines that he could think of, she probably did.

"If you wanted, I could pretend to be him for you," Jason said while sidling just a little closer. "Might not sound as good but I'd be willing to try for a lovely lady like you."

"Don't even try," the woman snorted while grinning in spite of herself. "I gotta go stop him from tearing things open. Sorry to have bothered you."

"Darn," Jason sighed as he put a hand over his heart. "And here I thought I had a chance for at least a portion of his life."

She laughed out loud and waved goodbye while walking away. Jason waited until she and the tween kid were gone before going back to his computer searches. The little encounter at least clarified a bit of what had been confusing him. He wasn't looking for Robin. He was looking for _the_ Robins, an up and coming brother band with a seriously eclectic and very distinctive sound.

He switched over to a library computer after a little bit, finding it easy enough to come up with tons of data on the Robins. Dick, the other Jason, Steph, Timmy, and Damian toured constantly, always avoiding Gotham. Alfred was with them. Bruce Wayne was dead. Batman had disappeared about the time Bruce died.

He had no idea why they'd agreed to be sent away. There was no sign of what could have killed Bruce. Their music wasn't half bad so Jason downloaded a bunch of their songs and stored them on his belt. Jay's latest upgrade to his equipment had given him some cool new functions, including the ability to record images and sound. The fucking thing was becoming his personal, wearable computer, along with the gauntlet which he'd upgraded a few times so that he'd stop getting so damned nauseous when he switched worlds.

"Sad," Jason murmured as he watched a YouTube vid of one of their concerts, this one in Chicago. "They look so fucking sad."

Dick was jumping around on stage, hamming it up. The others were playing the crowd but Jason knew them, knew them all better than any of the fans watching did. He could see how they were hurting. It looked to Jason like they'd had their hearts cut out. He sighed and shut the computer down.

"Can't blame them," Jason murmured as he left the library and found a quiet alley to use as his departure point. "Giving up patrolling and helping people would just about kill me. Losing Bruce would be even worse."

It didn't matter that Bruce had more or less written Jason off in his world. Just knowing that he was there had been enough to anchor Jason to some degree. He'd had someone to fight against, the way a son fought against his father. The Robins in this 'verse had lost that, along with their identities as crime fighters.

Jason shook his head sadly. There wasn't a damn thing that he could do to help them. They'd have to find their own way home, wherever that ended up being. He triggered his belt, setting this world as one he could come back to. He kind of wanted to pick up some of their CD's later, after he got home. It'd be seriously cool to play them for Tim and the others. It wasn't a path he'd ever take but it was a really different life they could have had together.


	9. Pure Horror

Jason stared at the scene with something like pure horror curdling his gut. The battle was apparently vicious according to this 'verse's perverse rules but that wasn't what had him swallowing down bile. He triggered his belt to record because there was no way that he would be believed if he didn't have proof.

"Oh my fucking God!" Jason gagged once the battle was over and they started talking.

He triggered the new emergency return button that Jay had installed on his belt after he'd nearly been killed. Jason staggered once he arrived, dropping to his knees as he tried to keep from throwing up. There were voices around him but it was too hard dealing with the horror of what he'd seen to really focus on them.

"Jason?" Tim's voice said far too gently in his ear. "Jason? Are you okay?"

"I'm gonna be fucking sick," Jason groaned. "Holy fucking hell, that… that was worse than the tentacle Dick 'verse. That was _Hell_ , literally!"

"I think he's okay," Jay said. He tugged at Jason's shoulder, making him sit up. "You don't look hurt."

"Oh God," Jason whimpered at seeing his, Jay's face. "I'm not going to be able to look in a mirror for weeks!"

Jay growled at him. Tim laughed, her voice musical in her amusement. Jason rubbed his face and then groaned that practically the entire gang was there. It looked like old home week. Bruce was studying him with his head ever so slightly cocked to one side. Steph was blatantly grinning at him. She had a little camera trained on him to record the humiliation. Damian had an incredibly curious expression on his face, which almost matched the puzzled one on Dick's.

"Wait, what's this about me having tentacles?" Dick asked.

"That's the one that had me coming back here in rags, beaten to a pulp," Jason said, waving a hand at him as Jay helped him to his feet. "That was ages ago."

"I had tentacles?" Dick asked. He looked halfway appalled and halfway intrigued by the idea. "Seriously? What did I do with them?"

"Damn near raped me and then tried to kill me when I fought you off," Jason snarled at him.

Dick looked appropriately horrified at the thought. Steph turned her camera on him and then Damian as he busted a gut laughing. Jason rubbed a shaky hand over his face, wondering how much booze they had upstairs and if he could convince Tim and Jay to forgo patrolling tonight so that he could get completely and utterly drunk off of his ass.

"So what was worse than tentacle rape and near death battles?" Bruce asked.

"You don't fucking want to know," Jason said with a shudder than damned near knocked him off of his feet. "Seriously, you in particular, do not want to know. You were there, or an analog of you was. Just… fucking hell, how much booze do you guys have?"

They all stared at him, Bruce with that particularly flat expression that marked him being completely pissed off and determined not to show it. It was obvious that none of them were going to let it go. Jason sighed and triggered the playback on his belt. A holographic image appeared in the center of the room, showing exactly what had made him flee that world.

"That is not me," Bruce said with complete horror as a campy Batman with a beer gut and a _blue_ bat suit attacked the Joker.

"Is that me?" Dick asked while staring at the too-tall cheerful, quipping Robin in short pants. "That can't be me. He's too big."

"Oh my fucking God," Jay said with complete and utter horror. "That's me!"

"No way," Tim breathed. She looked as horrified as the rest of them.

"Who is that person they're fighting?" Damian asked. "I do not recognize him."

"That's the Joker," Jason said while fighting down the urge to vomit once again. "Yes, seriously, that's the Joker."

The bizarre little battle came to an end with the Joker getting knocked out and the Batman standing there with his gut puffed out instead of his chest. That Jason grinned at him, sidled closer and cocked his head at that Batman.

"Golly gee, Batman, that sure was a knock down fight," that Jason said.

"The fuck is that?" Jay bellowed, drowning out the brief remainder of the recording. "What the hell? No Jason Todd of any 'verse would ever say 'golly gee'!"

"Was his hand reaching out to pet Batman's arm?" Steph asked in horror. "Are they lovers?"

"That was…" Tim's voice trailed off into nothingness as she stared at where the hologram had been.

"Why the hell do you think I said I'd rather be tentacle raped to death?" Jason said. "Now where's the fucking booze? There is no way in fucking hell that I'm going to stay sober with _that_ in my mind."

"Beer," Jay agreed. "Lots and lots of beer."

"I think I have some Crown Royal in my room," Dick offered. He looked like he was about to throw up too.

"Got some tequila in mine," Steph said with a shudder.

"I'll tell Alfred to unlock the liquor cabinet," Bruce said with a shudder of his own.

Damian snorted at them all, his hands on his hips. He waited until they were all on the stairs before following them. Jason just knew that the fucking demon spawn would say something. It wasn't in his nature to let anything lie, much less something like this.

"I will take patrol tonight," Damian said smugly, "since it is quite obvious that none of you possess the emotional fortitude to deal with minor upsets such as this."

"Damian?" Jason said as he paused on the stairs and looked back at him.

"What?" Damian asked warily.

"I could always go back and see what you look like there. You might just be that Bruce and Jason's ass baby. Who the fuck knows how that verse works? Batman's belly was awfully big for a crime fighter."

"Ewwwww!" Damian wailed. His wail was joined by Jay's whimper and Bruce's gag of horror.

"Seriously, where is the fucking beer?" Jason demanded.


	10. Just One Night

As tricks went, this one was pretty good. Dinner at Denny's with anything he wanted to eat plus a clean hotel room for the whole night was definitely a treat. Tim let the guy who looked way too much like Jason Todd, the pimp a few blocks over, lead him into the hotel room. Despite the resemblance, Tim knew it wasn't actually Todd. The eyes were different, older somehow, and the hair was different too. This guy had a white streak that was just growing in after being dyed a while back and his hair was darker, too.

"Nice," Tim commented once the guy locked the door. "Want me to get cleaned up first?"

"Sure," the guy said with that sad-hurt smile on his face again. "Knock yourself out, kid."

Tim showered thoroughly, taking his time for the first time in a long time. It felt good to get really clean. After making sure he was thoroughly lubed, he carefully pocketed all the little bottles of shampoo and lotion but left his clothes off. A towel sufficed. It wasn't like the tricks wanted him for his sartorial choices, after all. No, they wanted his girl-pretty face and dark hair surrounding pouty lips that had gotten way too good at sucking cock in the last couple of years. It was fine. It was better than going home.

He took a moment to check his body before heading out into the bedroom. The bruises Riley left around his hips and wrist had finally faded. That was good. Tricks seemed to think bruises were an invitation to give him more and Tim truly preferred that they didn't. Three hickies dotted the left side of his neck but they looked more like birthmarks than hickies right now. If he were lucky the guy wouldn't want to add a bunch more to Tim's body.

The guy was laying on the bed with his clothes on, even the boots. He'd flung an arm over his eyes as if he just wanted to sleep. Tim frowned, working his bottom lip with his teeth, before hesitantly coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Better?" the guy asked without looking.

"Much," Tim said in his sexy-seductive voice. "What did you want? You never specified other than all night."

"Kid, please don't do that," the guy said with so much pain in his voice that Tim stared at him. "Seriously, do not make sexy voices at me. That's not what this is about."

"If you're into rough trade or something really kinky I'm leaving now," Tim snapped at him. "I don't bleed for anyone."

The guy laughed a broken laugh that showed way too much of how hurt he had to be inside. When he finally dropped his arm Tim could see tears hovering in the guy's eyes. He sat up and reached out to run his fingers through Tim's hair, playing with the long strands on the back of Tim's head. He'd left it out of the normal ponytail after the shower because tricks usually like him looking more girlish. It made Tim shudder with sympathetic pain to see the guy's eyes as he brushed his thumb across Tim forehead as if he was awed that it was intact.

"You look just like him," the guy said so gently that it hurt to hear. "Just like him. Same hair, same eyes, same build. So damned brave on that street corner and just… I couldn't walk by. You look just like him but you're alive and he's not and fuck!"

The guy broke off and turned away as if turning his head would hide the face that he was fighting against tears. Tim shivered, finally realizing that this was probably going to be one of those nights when the trick just wanted to be held and to cry and be comforted. He probably should have put his clothes back on but it was too late for that now.

"What happened?" Tim asked in his softest, gentlest tone of voice, the one he'd used with his mom and dad or random small children before he'd chosen this life.

"Middle of a fucking war," the guy sighed. He thumped the bedspread with one hand. "Got himself shot. Three times in the chest, once in the gut. I got there way too late. He was already dying and they were searching for him. I couldn't save him. Couldn't save him. All I could do was…"

"End it?" Tim asked. His stomach was in knots. This was a lot worse than most of his 'cuddly' tricks. Most of them just had Daddies that didn't love them enough.

"Yeah." The guy shut his eyes and squared his jaw for a long moment. "Put my fucking gun to his head and pulled the trigger, then I ran and got the hell out. I couldn't save him. I couldn't do a damned thing for him. You look just like him, a fucking twin. I couldn't walk by. I can't do much for you, kid. All I can do is give you a full belly and a clean, safe room to sleep in for one night. That's it. This isn't my home. I have to keep moving, but I can give you this much. Just one night."

Tim looked at him. He'd always been good at seeing whether people were telling the truth or lying to him. It was a gift and a curse. That gift was part of why he'd run away from home and it was part of how he'd kept himself safe on the streets for the last few years. The guy was telling the absolute truth. Just looking at Tim was tearing his heart out but here he was, giving Tim what little he could.

"Do you have a brother or a cousin or something?" Tim asked just because it looked like he could. "Name of Jason Todd?"

"Yeah," the guy laughed. He smiled a little wryly. "Pimp and general bully boy. He's not so bad once you get over the fact that he's an asshole and a jerk. Totally loyal. He'll protect you with his life if you're his friend. Smarter than he likes to admit."

"That's him," Tim said with an involuntary grin. "I wondered. You look a lot like him."

"Family resemblance, not that he knows about me," the guy said. "It's a long story and it doesn't really matter. You gotta be getting cold. At least get in the bed."

Tim studied him for a long moment. Beneath the sadness and loss there was a huge amount of attraction. The guy had to have been lovers with his look-alike, or at least seriously interested in him. He might think that this was just to give Tim whatever he could but he did want more. It showed. There was so much love hiding under the sorrow. It drew Tim like a moth to the flame. How long had it been since anyone had looked at him with love? He literally couldn't remember.

"I think," Tim said as he straddled the guy's lap and let the towel drop, "that I'd rather have you keep me warm. No, not because you're paying for it, which you are no matter what happens. I want it because you look at me with something besides lust mixed with disgust. Do you have any idea how long it's been since anyone has actually seen me? Wanted _me?_ Granted, you're not quite seeing me but it's close enough."

"Your whole life," the guy whispered. "Your whole fucking life. Your parents ignored you. Your teachers took you for granted. You friends didn't fucking exist, right? Spent your whole damned life waiting for anyone to notice you."

"Yeah," Tim said as the guy saw straight through him the way Tim was used to seeing through everyone else. "I want it. Just… one night of love instead of lust. Please?"

The guy opened his mouth to protest but Tim surged into his arms and kissed him. Their teeth clacked painfully but the guy's arms were wrapped around him. His leather jacket felt armored. Tim could literally feel plates of something under what had to be Kevlar. Pushing it off of the guy's shoulders showed Tim just how heavy the thing was. It weighed a ton. He stripped the guy as efficiently as possible, all the while kissing him senseless. The guy grunted a warning as Tim's fingers went for his belt and he knocked Tim's fingers away.

"Trapped," the guy muttered. He opened the belt himself and let Tim pull his pants down. The only other thing he stopped Tim from removing was an exotic gauntlet on his left forearm. "No. That can't come off. I'll die if I take it off."

"How do you bathe?" Tim asked without expecting an answer as he licked his way down the guy's abs. There were a lot of scars. He must have been in a war to have gotten all of these scars. Tim didn't comment on them. He just swallowed the guy's cock whole.

"Fucking hell, kid," the guy groaned in a strangled voice that said better than words that he enjoyed Tim's hard-won skills.

Tim hummed appreciatively, doing his best to give the guy the best head he'd ever gotten. It was a skill he was proud of, as sick as that was. There were tricks to taking a guy's cock down your throat without gagging while looking pretty and Tim had made sure that he learned all of them. When he glanced up during one of his deepest plunges the guy had his eyes shut as if he didn't want to see Tim sucking him.

"Watch," Tim ordered. "See me. See me doing this for you. Don't pretend its not happening. I'm here and you're here and we're doing this."

"I'll fucking come," the guy moaned.

"Do," Tim whispered before sucking the guy's cock back into his mouth and fondling his balls.

It only look another three plunges before the guy shouted a strangled warning and spilled in Tim's mouth. He took it deep so that he wouldn't have to taste it and carefully used his hands to milk the guy's cock dry before letting go of the softening erection.

"Holy fucking shit, kid," the guy panted. "That…"

"Mmm, glad you liked it," Tim said with a smirk that normally would have gotten him beaten. "I've got other skills you're going to enjoy too."

The guy laughed and pulled Tim up into his arms for the cuddling that Tim had seen coming. It was somewhat like being cuddled by a brick wall but he was warm and gentle so it was relatively all right. Once the blankets were pulled up Tim was perfectly comfy. He immediately started caressing the guy's stomach, tracing the muscles of his abs.

"You don't have to…" the guy said just a little hopefully.

"You said you wanted to make things better for one night," Tim said in his old pouty spoiled rich boy voice.

The guy laughed and rolled on top of Tim. It should have been oppressive and frightening but instead Tim felt safe. They kissed for a long moment and then Tim gasped as the guy showed some sexual skills that Tim thought would be excellent additions to his repertoire. How he managed to do that to Tim's cock with two fingers and the calloused edge of his thumb, Tim didn't know but he was determined to figure it out. By the time he slid between Tim's legs, Tim was more than ready for him. Getting the condom on had been an exercise in frustration. Normally his fingers never shook that way.

"Yes," Tim groaned as he was finally penetrated.

"God," the guy moaned. "Ready. So ready."

"Yes, do me!" Tim cried, kicking his heels against the guy's ass.

It was hard and dirty and fast, just the right side of painful. Tim was more than happy to let the guy do whatever he wanted to him. The look in his eyes made it worth it. Love. He'd never had anyone look at him with that much love before. Tears crept down Tim's cheeks while he wailed at how good it felt. They didn't last long. Tim went over way too soon and he dragged the guy with him, despite the fact that he'd already come once. It was a little embarrassing that he had come. Normally he had much better control than that, though of course normally he was just faking it for the tricks. It was different with the guy.

The second round an hour later was tender and sweet. Tim sobbed into the pillow and cursed his idiot heart. He couldn't get attached to a trick that admitted that he'd be leaving tomorrow. His heart didn't listen. The third round took forever and Tim ended up contorted into positions that he wouldn't have thought possible. They felt incredible, especially once the guy held Tim's limbs in vise-like grips.

"Fucking hell," the guy panted once they'd collapsed to either side of the big bed. "That's it. Done. Don't care anymore, I'm finished for the night."

Tim laughed through his panting, moving back to the guy's side to drape himself over his hard body. The guy groaned and pretended to push Tim away but actually drew him closer to cuddle again. This time Tim let him have the cuddle without any groping or complaints. He was tired enough that it didn't freak him out.

"Thank you," the guy whispered a few minutes later.

"You're welcome," Tim whispered back as he fell asleep. "And thank you."

When he woke in morning the guy was gone. On the table was a stack of money and a note. It read: "Todd will protect you from your pimp if you give him one eighth that much. Take care of yourself, kid." It was signed JPT. Tim sighed, checked the stack of bills and raised an eyebrow that it was about three times what he'd quoted the guy and then headed for the shower. He still had a couple of hours before he had to leave the room. There was no reason for him not to take advantage of the hot water while he had it.

And if he did check out Jason Todd sometime in the next couple of weeks, it would be in memory of the guy's lost boyfriend. Tim didn't need saving. This was his choice.


	11. Angel of Deliverance

This Tim was small, even for Timmy. Jason frowned as he watched the too small, too thin young man struggle to drag a wrapped corpse to a shallow grave that was surrounded by far too many other shallow graves. It looked to him like Tim was the only survivor of the village. His scrawny torso was exposed to the world because he'd removed his tunic as he struggled with the corpse. His body was covered with what looked like giant zit scars. They had to be the healing marks of the plague that had taken out the rest of the village. He could still recognize his Tim under the scars, dirt, and the tear tracks that cut down his cheeks.

"Just… a… little… more…" Tim panted.

Tim gave one last heave and the corpse toppled into the grave with a thud that made Jason's stomach roil. He really didn't want to know how long it had been since that person had died. It didn't sound like it had been recent.

"Need a hand?" Jason asked.

"Who?" Tim startled so badly that he toppled over backwards onto his ass.

He stared up at Jason with so much fear and awe in his eyes that Jason picked up the rickety shovel and started covering the corpse. Tim watched him shovel, slowly curling into an anxious bundle of too-thin limbs. It didn't take long for Jason to bury the corpse though it would probably have taken much longer for Tim. He looked seriously undernourished and exhausted to boot.

"I have to pray for them," Tim whispered once Jason was done. "The priest is gone but I have to pray for them."

"Let them go," Jason said as gently as he could when he wanted to crush the boy to his chest and keep him safe forever.

"They should have prayers," Tim insisted in a voice that was insistent in its shock-driven numbness.

"Tim," Jason said and smiled sadly at the boy's start and abrupt return to awareness, "let them go. They're in a better place now. They're praying for you. Let them go."

Tim shuddered and put his face in his hands for a long moment. His whole body shook with emotion. Jason let him have the time. The kid had to have wrapped every corpse by himself, dug and then filled every grave alone. Thinking of him toiling to tend to his family, neighbors and town mates made Jason's stomach twist.

"Where would I go?" Tim finally asked. His lip was bleeding from having been bitten too hard.

"Come on," Jason said. He stood and checked his gauntlet. "There's a place for you. You just have to get there."

Tim scrambled to his feet, staring up at Jason. They walked together in silence because Tim was so skittish that Jason was afraid Tim would bolt if he opened his mouth. It took two days for Jason to get Tim to this 'verse's version of Wayne Manor. There hadn't been anything too threatening to confront them, just some wolves and one brigand who was obviously dying of the plague too. Jason's gun took care of him. They left the corpse where it lay. Jason fully intended to head back to Jay's world to make sure he hadn't caught the fucking disease while here. As it was he was very careful not to touch Tim, no matter how much he wanted to.

Wayne Manor looked like it was doing fairly well, despite the fact that this 'verse was apparently stuck in the middle ages. Jason scanned the people toiling away in the fields surrounding the manor. He didn't see his double but he did see this 'verse's version of Dick.

"Okay," Jason said to Tim. "See that man talking to the workers? That's Richard. You need to talk to him. Tell him that your village died, that you need a place to stay. He'll make sure that you're taken care of and given work."

"But…" Tim stopped talking, staring up at Jason.

"I can't go with you, Tim," Jason said gently. "Go on. They'll take care of you, I promise."

He watched as Tim thought about saying something but eventually the boy turned and slowly walked through the fields. By the time he got there Jason's twin was with Dick. They both stared as Tim gasped and collapsed to his knees praying.

"An angel?" the other Jason squawked so loudly that it carried across the fields. "I'm not an angel!"

Tim pointed back to where Jason was still standing. Jason smirked and triggered his belt. Hopefully the shimmer of light as he switched 'verses would bolster Tim's story. If he was really lucky they wouldn't believe that Jason had been a demon or some such idiocy. Either way, Tim was away from the village of the dead and with people who should help him. It wasn't much but it was the best that Jason could do for this Tim.

+++++

Jason stared at the kid as he babbled. His mind wasn't registering the kid's words. He was completely stuck on the image of another version of him disappearing in a flash of light and music that sounded like something from Heaven. There was no way that an angel could have taken his face. A demon, certainly, but an angel? The idea made him want to laugh but Jason suspected that it would come out hysterical.

"…and he protected me on our way here," the kid was babbling to Dick. "He was so clean, so very clean. It was like nothing earthly had ever touched him. We, we, we were attached by a brigand and… he held out his hand and struck down the brigand with the thunder of God. He, he, he just fell in his tracks!"

Dick looked up at Jason, awe and worry in his eyes. Jason shrugged at him. He had nothing. Why any angel would pretend to be him, Jason would never know. Though he was curious why the kid was worth saving that way.

"And he gave me food," the kid said, pulling a little bundle out of his pocket. He held it like it was the most precious thing ever. "He called it _chocolate_ but… I think it's… well, try a piece. I've never tasted anything like it."

He broke off two little chunks of the brown substance, offering them to Dick and Jason. Dick sniffed it and then ate his. His eyes went so wide that Jason hesitated before eating his. The taste once he did put it in his mouth was so sweet and so different that he could believe that it was godly ambrosia.

"Fuck," Jason whispered while licking his lips.

"All right," Dick said. He helped the kid to his feet. "Jason is going to take you up to the manor to meet Bruce, our Lord. He'll find work for you. Were you training in any trades?"

"Yes," the kid said, still shaking so hard that Jason felt compelled to put his hand under the kid's elbow. "I was learning to be a scribe."

"You'll have work," Jason said with a barked laugh. "Lots and lots of work. We need a scribe bad."

The kid stared at him with eyes that mixed awe, hope and way too fucking much shock. He must have been through the wringer when his village died. Jason smiled wryly at the kid who blushed brightly.

"You never told us your name," Jason said as they headed towards the manor.

"Timothy," the kid said shyly. "He… the angel called me Tim. I never told him my name but he still knew what it was."

"Well, let's get you up to the manor, Tim," Jason said. "There's food and decent beds and Lord Bruce is fair. I'm sure you'll make a place for yourself pretty soon."

+++++

The isolation alarms blared as Jason appeared in the middle of the cave. Force fields surrounded him, cutting him off from the rest of them. Tim pulled her shirt down and ran in with Jay at her heels. This was the last thing they needed after a hard patrol.

"What happened?" Jay shouted as he silenced the alarms.

"Fucking plague," Jason grumbled. "I should be okay. I hope. I didn't stay that long."

"Plague?" Tim asked, horrified.

"You were exposed," Jay said from the control panel. "Doesn't look like you caught it but the contagion is on your clothes. Strip down and we'll decontaminate you."

Tim grinned and crossed her arms on her chest to watch as Jason stripped. He looked okay. No new bruise or cuts, which was a nice change from his normal visits to them. She was kind of used to seeing him kicked to hell and back. Jason glared at her as he stripped, probably because by the time he was down to his boxers his cock was tenting them out.

"Good," Jay murmured. "Looks like we'll be able to kill it before it can spread. Why the fuck did you stay on a plague world?"

"Saving another Tim?" Tim asked archly.

"So fucking sue me!" Jason snapped at them. "He was this teeny undernourished thing burying his whole fucking village by himself. It was some sort of stuck in the Middle Ages 'verse, complete with heavy religion and fucking plague everywhere. I couldn't leave him there. He's a _Tim!_ You know he'd spend the rest of his damned life praying for the dead and ignoring his own needs."

Tim winced at the accuracy of that statement. Jay had kept her from doing her own version of that a few too many times. They did tend towards obsession, after all. She headed over to the edge of the force field, smirking at Jason because she knew he couldn't touch her.

"You are such a Goody Two-Shoes," Tim said with a wicked grin that made Jason growl even louder. "You try so hard to act like you're rough and tough but every chance you get you're out there saving people."

"Shut the fuck up, _Temperance,_ " Jason grumbled at her. His cheeks went beet red, so she knew she'd hit home. Because of that she decided to let the usage of her real name go.

"Just stating the obvious," Tim said with a causal wave of her hand. She turned to head back to Jay before the force field fell.

It fell before she took two steps. Jason surged forward and caught Tim around the waist, holding her securely while tickling her in exactly the right spot on her rib cage to make her laugh uncontrollably.

"Jay!" Tim squealed.

"Like hell," Jay said with a wicked grin. "You totally earned that, Tim."

"Damn straight," Jason growled in her ear. "I'll show you Goody!"

Tim screamed and struggled but she was laughing too hard to get free. She didn't struggle all that hard, honestly. Jason could use some laughter. He was way too serious about getting home sometimes. A little play time would do him good. Besides, she could use it after that patrol, too.


	12. Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slavery as an accepted part of society.

The slave market was loud, smelly and horrifying. Jason meandered through the market, following this 'verse's version of Tim as he shopped with this 'verse's Steph. She looked like she was a well-treated, beloved slave. Tim was obviously a rich young man doing his best to be spoiled and petulant as he refused to buy this slave and that. It didn't take long for Jason to realize that he was looking for something in particular or maybe someone in particular.

Jason checked his gauntlet and smiled to see his twin growling at everyone who came close to him a few stalls away. The chains wrapped around his body creaked as that Jason struggled. His back was marked by whips and canes. A black eye covered the right side of his face. None of the potential buyers looked twice at him, no matter how desperately the slave dealers begged them.

"No, no," Tim sighed as he walked past Jason. "I don't want that one."

"He's loyal," Jason said, gesturing at his twin to shut the fuck up and behave himself.

"What?" Tim asked.

He turned and stared up at Jason. Steph looked at him like he was insane. Her eyes flew between Jason and their 'verse's Jason. The resemblance was there though not as markedly as in some 'verses. This Jason had reddish brown hair and no streak of white. Jason really had to take the time to dye that damned thing out again. Tim frowned and cocked his head at Jason. The pouty expression disappeared into such intelligence that Jason had to smile at him.

"He's loyal," Jason said. "You give him a chance and he'll protect your ass against anyone and anything that fucks with you. Not something to sneeze at."

"Why don't you buy him them?" Tim asked. It wasn't snide. Instead the question came off as honestly curious, which only Tim could carry off while standing in the middle of a slave market in green and gold striped tights.

"I look like I need protection?" Jason asked, laughing outright.

"Not so much," Tim said with a wry smile that bordered on a smirk. "Really? Loyalty is good."

Slave Jason stared up at Tim with a mixture of hope and worry. Jason signaled him to calm down. The slave dealers stared as Jason did exactly that. His shoulder relaxed and the chains went slack around him. Obviously he'd been tensing up so that later he'd be able to squirm free. Tim saw it, nodded once very slowly and then smiled that tiny little smile that said hope and fragility behind armored strength. Slave Jason's response to that smile was clear for everyone to see as his cock started filling.

"You won't regret it," Jason said.

"No," Tim said while blushing brightly, "I don't suppose that I will."

He pulled Steph along with him to go and bargain with the slave dealers. Jason stayed by slave Jason's side, chuckling once they were out of hearing. Slave Jason looked up at him with a worried frown.

"You sure?" slave Jason asked.

"You give him a little love and lot of loyalty and he'll take a beating for you," Jason said. "He'll fucking die for you. Kid's got no one to care for him and too many responsibilities."

"He's a master," slave Jason mumbled suspiciously while twisting his wrists in the chains.

"Granted," Jason said. "But not one of the bad ones. Gotta admit that he takes good care of the girl and you know he wants you."

Slave Jason growled and squirmed uncomfortably. Jason laughed out loud and shook his head no. It took a second for slave Jason to figure it out, that Tim didn't want to take him, he wanted to be taken by him. He grinned suddenly and settled back on his haunches to wait.

"Might just make it worth it," slave Jason said.

"Is," Jason said. "Expect arguments followed by hot make up sex. Oh, and you want to watch out for his adopted dad. He'll see straight through you. And don't fuck with their head butler. The old man dotes on him, even if he is a slave. Damned near raised him."

Slave Jason cocked his head at Jason but didn't ask how Jason knew so much because Tim came back with Steph and the slave dealer. Tim waited until slave Jason had been unchained and then carefully, gently wrapped a soft leather collar around his neck.

"You're mine now," Tim said in exactly the wrong tone of voice to inspire a slave with awe but exactly the right one to inspire the desire to protect and care. "Don't worry, I'll get you some clothes and sandals on our way home."

"Thank you, Master," slave Jason said. He stood and towered over Tim while rubbing his wrists.

"You're welcome," Tim replied, carefully attaching a second leash to Jason's collar. "Let's go home."

He nodded goodbye to Jason and led his slaves away. Jason waved goodbye to his twin and smiled. Fucked up world with fucked up rules but at least Jason and Tim were together now. The real question was what Tim had actually been looking for and what he would use slave Jason for, but that wasn't Jason's problem. Getting home was his problem.


	13. Sibling Rivalry

"No _fair!_ "

Jason winced as the wailing whine cut through his skull. It really was way too early in the fucking morning for kids being that shrill. Not that it was early morning in this particular 'verse; it was actually late afternoon or early evening, the time when people came home from work and kids played on the lawn while waiting for them. He checked his gauntlet and sighed that the proximity alert said he had to go towards the whining, crying and little-kid-gloating he could hear around the corner.

"Give it back! Give it back! Give it back!"

"Nuh-uh! It's mine now an' I'm keeping it."

A miniature Jason was holding a little Superman action figure over the head of a miniature Tim, dancing and laughing as the Tim tried to jump up and get it back. Jason could see a tween Dick aggressively ignoring the kid's conflict while studying a magazine on the porch of the house half hidden in the trees. A little Steph was there too, cuddling what had to be a toddler version of Damian that looked almost cute. Little Damian had a smugly amused expression as he sucked on his pacifier while watching Tim and Jason so obviously not everything had changed in this 'verse.

"It's _mine!_ " Tim shouted. "Give it back, you big meanie!"

The shout went straight through Jason's skull. It was a combination of being too tired from not enough sleep, a little bit hung over because he'd allowed himself to drink last night, and pure Timmy outrage at his highest volume setting. There was no way he could walk by, even though this obviously wasn't home. Seriously obviously given the size of his opposite number.

"That's enough," Jason growled at the two of them.

He snatched the toy out of little Jason's hand and glared down at him. Little Jason glared up at him while tween Dick came on alert. He didn't move but Jason could see that he was ready to do so if Jason so much as twitched wrong.

"Play nice," Jason told his little counterpart. "Picking on him is a terrible way to get his attention."

"Don't want his attention," little Jason pouted while blushing so brightly that his face looked like it was radiating heat.

"And don't lie," Jason huffed while trying not to grin at the way little Jason crossed his arms on his chest. "Here you go. He'll stop teasing you if you play with him."

"Really?" little Tim asked. He clutched his Superman doll to his chest, staring up at Jason in awe.

"Yup," Jason said. "It's no fun playing alone or with girls. Or babies. You're not a baby."

"Hey!" Steph protested. She stuck her tongue out at Jason and hugged Damian who made a wordless protest around his pacifier while trying to struggle free.

Tim looked up at Jason and then over at little Jason who was trying to look mad but only succeeding in looking hopeful and bashful. He scuffed a toe in the dirt and looked up at little Tim through his eyelashes. Tween Dick had relaxed on the deck, though he was obviously still keeping an eye on Jason.

"Um," Tim said into the head of Superman doll, "wanna play wif me?"

"Can I be Superman?" Jason asked as if he expected to be turned down.

"I get to be Batman," Tim said, offering the Superman doll.

"Uh!" Jason squawked. "Nuh-uh, I wanna be Batman! Batman's way better!"

"Is not," Tim said. He hugged the Superman doll to his chest.

"Is too!"

"Don't start that. Please, my head hurts too much for that," Jason huffed at them. He saw a minivan driving up and nearly twitched out of his skin to realize that it was Selina driving with Bruce in the passenger's seat. They looked like standard suburban working parents, which was weird in the extreme. "Looks like your parents are home anyway."

"Mommy!" Tim squeaked. He ran for the van, waving his doll. "Mommy, Jason was mean to me and took my Superman and now he thinks that Batman is better than Superman and he's _wrong!_ "

"I wasn't mean!" little Jason protested while running after Tim. "He was mean and wouldn't play with me!"

Jason rubbed his forehead and then threw up his hands. Tween Dick snickered as Jason walked away down the street. Someday he really did have to learn which battles he could make a difference in and which he couldn't.


	14. Fifth Element

"So what have we got this time?" Jason mused. He looked around the area and frowned: tall trees off to his right, a mountain lurking behind a pristine blue lake off to his left, and no buildings at all. There was absolutely no sign of Jason, Tim, Bruce, Dick, or even Gotham. "The hell?"

Jason checked the settings on his belt. Jay and he had just implemented a new upgrade that girl Tim had designed. He'd been getting a lot better at homing in on Tim's and Jasons during his jumps. The upgrade should have landed him very close to his opposite but at a safe distance.

"There!"

Jason started as a bellow echoed through the air. The next second he was surrounded by a wall of fire twice as tall as he was. It was hot enough that Jason shouted and put his arm over his face to keep from getting his eyebrows scorched off.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the other Jason said through the wall of flame.

The voice was Jason's so obviously he had been dropped close. Maybe too close. He'd have to adjust that later. Along with getting some fucking offensive and defensive weapons, damn it!

"That's a little hot," Jason complained, peeking from behind his arm and wincing as his eyes instantly went dry. Couldn't see the other Jason anyway.

"Do something about it then," the other Jason said with a disgusted snort.

"Yeah, I'm on that," Jason said.

Jason triggered the belt and shifted about twenty feet to the right, closer to the lake. He grinned as the other Jason shouted something obscene that was consumed by the roar of the flames. Unfortunately Jason only had a couple of seconds before he was attacked again, this time by a streamer of water that nearly knocked him from his feet.

"I thought you had him," Damian said from the lake.

"The hell is this place?" Jason breathed.

Damian was literally standing on the water's surface with streamers of water swirling around him. The streamers blasted into Jason's chest, knocking him back a good ten feet. He didn't get a chance to catch his breath because Dick was swooping down out of the sky and Steph ran at him with footsteps that made the earth shake while the grass tried to grab his ankles and hold him in place for the attack.

"The _hell?_ " Jason shouted.

He hit his belt and transferred about half a mile away from them. Jason panted and tried to brush the water off. It wouldn't hurt his belt or gauntlet as they could stand being a good hundred feet under water for hours but that didn't mean he liked being soaked, especially in this crazy ass place.

"Why are you here?" Tim asked from behind Jason.

"Ahh! Cut that out!" Jason bellowed. He whirled to find Tim perched on a rock behind him with a huge grin at having surprised him. "The hell is going on? All I did was show up and you guys tried to beat the hell out of me."

"You should expect it when you're on the training ground," Tim said completely reasonably.

"Training ground?" Jason asked. His proximity alert was blinking at him, which meant that the other Jason was coming. "Dude, I was looking for home, not for training."

Tim cocked his head at Jason and held up his hand as the other charged at Jason. They skidded to a stop, the other Jason growling with fire haloing his fists. Jason stared at him before turning back to Tim. Where the others had some sort of elemental powers Tim didn't seem to. He looked perfectly normal as he sat on his rock.

"Do you need help?" Tim asked. "With getting home?"

"Can you tell me which universe I should be looking for?" Jason asked. "You know, help me narrow down which ones match me?"

Tim opened his mouth while the most perplexed expression appeared on his face. He shook his head and then stood to press his fingers against Jason's forehead. Jason didn't feel a thing. After a few seconds Tim stepped back and shook his head no.

"I am sorry but your quest isn't one that we can help with," Tim apologized. "Your path carries you far beyond our purview. I wish you luck. I do believe that you will find your way to your home in time, if that helps."

"Yeah, it helps," Jason sighed. "Not a lot but it's better than nothing. Um, one question?"

"Yes?" Tim asked.

"What do you do?" He hooked a thumb at the others and their obvious powers. "I mean, you do have something you do, don't you?"

Tim laughed. "I'm the fifth element. Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. I am the guardian of the Spirit Realm. And yes," he smirked at Jason while wagging his eyebrows, "I can read your mind."

Jason went beet red as he realized that Tim had seen his fears, his hopes and the fact that the other Jason with his fire abilities was intimidating the fuck out of him. Tim's smirk widened into a grin that made Jason growl.

"That so sucks!" Jason groaned.

"Bye now," Tim said, waving goodbye as Jason triggered his belt and fled before Tim could tell the other Jason and really embarrass the living fuck out of him.


	15. Mystery

It was amusingly like being stuck in the middle of a period police procedural or old-fashioned murder mystery show. Jason was doing his level best not to smirk his ass off at the detective in charge. It wasn't the detective's fault that the tech level in this 'verse was so low that they didn't have fingerprinting, much less DNA typing or scanners or even cameras. All the poor cop could do was interview everyone in the area and try and search for clues.

Heck, the only reason that Jason had stuck around was that it was late in his day, as well as the day in this 'verse, so he'd decided to spend the night. It was just his luck that he'd picked the one hotel in town with a locked room murder mystery. At least the dead body wasn't in Jason's room. That would have sucked. He was too tired to deal with bloody carpet and sheets.

"All right, sorry for the delay, sir," the detective said as he flipped to a new sheet of paper. "Why were you here? Oh, and what was your name again? I didn't get that noted down."

"In town for the night and I needed a place to sleep," Jason said with a calm shrug. "It's a hotel. Q.E.D. My name's Peter Todd."

The detective stared and stared at Jason as if he'd just sprouted a second head. "Any relation to Jason Todd of the Wayne Detective Agency?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Jason said with a puzzled expression that matched the mental 'The fuck? Detective agency?' He hadn't bothered to do any checking on his opposites in this 'verse. It was too different for there to be any point.

"Everyone stay where you are," Bruce declared as he swept into the room with this 'verse's version of Jason and Tim on his heels. "The Commissioner has asked me to take over this case."

"Thank goodness," the detective sighed, so visibly relieved that Jason raised an eyebrow at him a bit dubiously. It was a little weird having cops relieved to have an outsider take over their case. "We haven't been able to figure out how the murder was committed or how the murderer escaped. The door was locked from the inside."

Bruce nodded, sweeping all of them with eyes so cold and perceptive that it was like being hit by sledgehammer. The other people in the room cringed away from Bruce's gaze. Jason didn't. He was used to Bruce's Bat-look though it was kind of odd to see him use it without the cowl. Bruce's eyes narrowed as he saw Jason's lack of response. There wasn't much resemblance between Jason and this 'verse's Jason so it had to be the lack of response. This Jason had flaming red hair, green eyes and a nose that had been broken at least two or three times. This Tim was much the same, just with a crew cut and square framed glasses that made his eyes pop.

"You are?" Bruce asked. He stepped over and loomed at Jason, obviously expecting it to intimidate Jason.

"Sergeant Peter Todd," Jason said, boldly offering his hand to shake and smirking at Bruce. "Retired soldier in town for the night and looking forward to getting to my bed."

Bruce's lips twitched into and out of something that might have been a smile if it had lasted longer. His eyes warmed considerably as he shook Jason's hand. He nodded and then turned to look at the detective who cringed from Bruce's gaze.

"Allow Sergeant Todd to retire, Detective Davis," Bruce said. "He has absolutely nothing to do with this. The rest of the people here will need to be properly questioned. Tim, get to work on questioning everyone. Jason, I want you to check the roof and the basement. Verify all the exits. We need to establish how the murderer got in and out without being seen. Detective, take me to the murder scene. I hope that no one has tampered with it."

"No sir," Detective Davis said. "Right this way, sir."

As Bruce left the room he turned and looked Jason in the eyes. "Good luck on your journey, 'Sergeant'," Bruce said with just the right inflection to let Jason know that he'd seen straight through the little lie he'd told.

"Thanks," Jason said with a cocky grin that made everyone stare at him except Bruce and Tim. "Good luck with your mystery."

"Thank you."

Bruce swept out with the detective in tow. Jason stretched and yawned before ambling off to his room. He'd have to stick around in the morning to see what Bruce had come up with, just out of sheer curiosity. Might be interesting to see what this Bruce did with an old-fashioned murder mystery. Of course, one of these days his curiosity was going to get him in trouble but Jason couldn't bring himself to care. He was too fucking tired for that tonight.


	16. Tech Runner

It wasn't a Star Trek future, all shiny hope and gleaming tech. This world was more like Blade Runner crossed with the Fifth Element, with a dash of Samurai Jack. Jason walked slowly down the street, just looking at it all. Flying cars and buildings that literally stretched up into the sky weren't something that he could ignore and leave without at least ogling for a while. The strange aliens walking among humans were too cool to miss.

The world wasn't at all like Jay and Tim's 'verse. That was more Babylon 5 crossed with good old-fashioned Gotham. He kind of thought that if he could make friends here they might be able to help him narrow in on home faster but that wasn't going to happen. Jason had no reason to stick around. The tech was advanced enough that he couldn't gimmick the computers to get money so he couldn't eat or find a place to sleep. Besides, it was only midmorning for him. He really should keep going.

"Freeze, Tech Runner!"

Jason stumbled at the sudden bellow from behind him. He turned and looked over his shoulder, slowly raising his hands when he saw that the cops were pointing their guns at him. Given that they looked like highly effective pulse guns that would shred his jacket's armor like tissue, he had no intention of risking them shooting at him.

"What's up?" Jason asked warily.

"You're wearing unlicensed tech," the cop growled. "You will remove it and step aside so that it can be destroyed."

"Like hell I will," Jason snapped. "I'll die if I take the damned stuff off. And it'll explode if you try to."

The cops' guns didn't waver but their expressions certainly did. Jason glared at them with his arms up. He was pretty sure that he could drop out of their line of fire and trigger his belt before they could shoot him but the last thing he wanted to do was risk it. Jay would rag on him endlessly if he came back with more injuries.

"Anyone who can confirm that?" the cop asked after a long, tense moment.

"Call Jason Todd," Jason said with a little smirk. "Tim Drake or Bruce Wayne will do in a pinch but Jason Todd's the one you really want."

"You want the Chief, you got him," the cop said with a sneer and a nasty laugh. The other cops grinned at the thought.

"Chief?" Jason asked.

He nearly laughed out loud at the idea of the other him being the chief of police but if he was older than Jason it could be. Given how dark this world was, Jason probably would fit right into the police force. It took less than three minutes for the other Jason to show up. They were a lot different in age. This 'verse's Jason was in his fifties with grizzled hair and a scarred cheek, but Jason still recognized him.

"The fuck?" the older Jason who Jason immediately decided to call Chief snapped as soon as he saw Jason. "Who the hell are you?"

"Jason Todd," Jason said calmly. "Can I put my arms down? My fingers are getting numb."

The Chief cocked his head at Jason and then snorted. He nodded as Jason sighed with relief while shaking the numbness out of his fingers. The other cops were staring at Jason as if he was absolutely insane. On the surface of it, it was crazy but Jason had faith that the Chief would recognize his own face, no matter how young Jason seemed to him.

"Not going to claim to be my son?" the Chief asked.

"No," Jason snorted back at him. "I'm displaced in the Multiverse. Went on a trip with some friends and they mistook another Jason for me. I got left behind. Been working my way home ever since. It's not an easy thing to do when you've got no gift for navigating between worlds."

"There's no such thing as alternate universes," the Chief growled.

"Beg to differ," Jason said. "Been to nearly three hundred of them."

The Chief opened his mouth and left it open for a long time before closing it quietly. He studied Jason, took out what looked like a cell phone but which couldn't be, and then scanned Jason's gauntlet.

"The fuck does this do?" the Chief asked. "These readings don't make any sense."

"Basically it keeps me from causing a cascading Multiversal collapse," Jason explained. "When you're displaced in the Multiverse you become something close to antimatter. Slower acting, but you still destroy everything around you, especially if there's another version of you in that 'verse. The gauntlet modifies my atomic vibration patterns with a masking pattern that lets me fit into whichever 'verse I'm in. So far I haven't been able to team the belt, which navigates through 'verses, to the gauntlet so that I can home in on my world. If I do link them, I lose the ability to mask myself and then boom goes the Multiverse. Not a good thing."

The Chief stared at him with his jaw dropped open. He shook his head hard as if he couldn't quite believe that he was seeing another version of him spout scientific gobbledygook. Of course, Jason had done the exact same thing when Jay started spouting science and math at him. He'd had to learn it just to keep up.

"I need to take you to see a scientist I know," the Chief said. "That made no fucking sense."

"Babs?" Jason asked. "Or Tim?"

"Tim actually," the Chief said with an even more disquieted expression. "You really are me, aren't you?"

"Yup," Jason sighed. "Look, I appreciate the thought but unless you can help me narrow down on my world, give me one of those cool pulse guns or give me some sort of fucking shield, I really ought to go. It's my morning. I could find home soon but only if I keep moving."

The Chief raised one graying eyebrow at Jason as if he couldn't believe Jason had just said that. Jason raised a matching defiant eyebrow at him. The cops around them were covertly staring at them, listening while trying not to look like they were listening.

"You're fucking traveling through random worlds without _shields?_ " the Chief asked. "Fuck leaving, son. You're coming with me and we're getting you kitted out with something that'll protect your damn fool ass. Fucking moron not to have them."

"Fuck you very much," Jason grumbled at him as they headed for the flying car the Chief had arrived in. "I didn't expect it to be this much work to get home. Hey, got a question for you."

"Sure," the Chief said. He opened the passenger door with a cool remote key card thing and let Jason slide in before getting in the driver's side. "What?"

"You fucking Dick, Steph or Tim? Oh, and did Damian ever grow out of being the biggest damned brat the universe has ever known?"

He grinned at the spluttered curses that erupted out of the Chief's mouth. Getting some shields would be great but getting to see what they all looked like and how they interacted was much more fun.


	17. Double Trouble

"The hell? How did I end up here?"

Jason blinked and then frowned as the never-before-lit Displaced Jason warning light went up on his gauntlet. This was a no-Jason, no-Bruce, no-Tim, no-Gotham 'verse so he'd only been hanging around for lunch. He stood and went out of the little dining area outside of the café and found another version of himself in nearly identical jeans, jacket and boots standing in the alleyway.

"Come on," Jason said to his other self. "Might as well get lunch before I figure out how to get you home. They got some great gyros round the corner."

"The fuck?" the other Jason breathed while staring at Jason.

"Food, free, now," Jason said, boiling it down to the essentials for his opposite.

"Well, if it's free," the other Jason said with a nod, "but I want an explanation of what the hell just happened."

"Do my best," Jason said as he led the way back to his table. "But you're going to have to answer some questions so I can track down what happened and where you're from."

Jason dubbed his twin 'JP' and claimed the name Jason, which got a growl until Jason explained that he'd met a Jay, a Jon, a JT, several Todds and a few hundred other Jason's so far. That apparently made JP's head spin enough that he shut the fuck up until it was time to order. Tracking down what had happened was pretty simple. JP had been in a battle with some whoopa-whoopa mage back on his Earth and had been hit by a spell that made his head spin. Once it cleared he'd been in the alleyway.

"Okay, put this tracker on. That should help keep you from being bounced right back when we get you home," Jason said calmly while passing a little tracker bracelet to JP. "We'll take out the mage once we get back there. It should be pretty easy overall. Let's eat and then head somewhere more private so I can get a proper scan of which world you're from."

They ate their gyros, got seconds, downed first a soda and then some coffee before finally leaving. JP looked at him funny when he left a huge tip but Jason just smirked at him. He'd stolen the money from an ATM using his gauntlet to gimmick the system so it wasn't like it was a hardship. Besides, the money wouldn't do him any good in any other 'verse. He'd found that money was just different enough 'verse to 'verse to be useless.

It took a bit of walking but they finally found a good rooftop that was private enough, easily accessed and not visible from other buildings. JP stared at Jason as he scanned him with the gauntlet and belt.

"The fuck are those things?" JP finally asked.

"My way home and lifeline," Jason said with a shrug as he completed the scan. "Oh yeah, the girl Dick 'verse. No problem, I've been there. She's one hell of a looker, I will say that. Gotta love her in the Nightwing suit."

"Dana's a guy in other 'verses?" JP asked with his jaw dropped open. His pants filled out a little. "Sexy?"

"Damn fine and a man-slut in damned near every 'verse I've seen," Jason said with a wicked grin. "'cept the one where he had tentacles. That one sucked hard."

JP shuddered and looked at Jason askance. "And he… used those tentacles, right?"

"I was fucking lucky to get out with my ass and life intact," Jason confided. "Broke my fucking kneecap getting free from those things. He had an armored set of balls."

"I did not need to know that," JP groaned.

Jason shrugged and grabbed JP's shoulder. He switched them back to JP's 'verse and nodded that they'd landed very close to where the battle had been. Buildings were damaged and shattered glass filled the streets around them. The combat had moved a bit away but it only took a few seconds to get to where the others were battling against the mage. The others had desperate, grief-stricken expressions. They obviously thought that JP had been destroyed instead of displaced in the Multiverse.

"So, want to kick some mage butt?" Jason asked while pulling out a white mask that a Steph had given him a few 'verses back.

"You know it," JP said. He smacked his fist into his hand and pulled out a scarlet mask, which he pressed onto his face. "Let's beat the fuck out of that asshole."

"Let me go first," Jason said. "Trust me, I got some tricks that your mage won't be able to cope with."

"Lead on, bro," JP said with a wicked grin. "Lead on!"

The battle was fucking short once Jason and JP moved in. Between Jason's tech and JP's fists, they first stunned the mage and then beat the hell out of him. Jason let JP explain what had happened while he ogled Nightwing. He discretely recorded Nightwing's image. No way in hell could he pass up the chance to make Jay's Dick or his Dick squirm. The 'v' on that suit was too perfectly placed to emphasize just how stacked girl Dick was. He was going to get teasing gold out of it once he got home, no doubt about that.


	18. Sarge

Sometimes the strangest things about the 'verses Jason visited wasn't the place itself but the people's attitudes towards him. He was used to people looking at him with fear and suspicion. That was fine. He could cope with that. But hitting a 'verse where a black leather jacket and openly worn guns equaled someone to look up to and treat with respect was so fucking weird that he just about jumped without checking any further. The respect enticed him though so he stayed for a few days instead.

As far as Jason could tell, this 'verse was one where WWII hit a lot later than it had in his 'verse. The whole country was consumed with the war effort. Women had those neat, trim dresses and little hats with gloves. Men wore suits with fedoras. Soldiers, or people who could easily be mistaken for soldiers like Jason, were treated like the next best thing to fucking God.

"Morning," a hot young thing said as Jason passed her on the street. She smiled that innocently seductive admiring smile that so many young women got around soldiers in this 'verse.

"Morning," Jason said, blushing in spite of himself.

She giggled at him or maybe because he'd spoken to her. Rather than deal with it, Jason ducked into an alley behind a bank and used his belt to snitch a twenty from the vault. He didn't take more. He didn't need it. All he wanted was breakfast and at the diner up the way a twenty would go a long fucking ways. Hell, the fifty he'd nicked when he'd arrived had lasted nearly four days.

"Morning Sarge!" Sally the waitress called as he walked into the diner. "Pick your place. Coffee?"

"Sure," Jason said with a ready smile that wasn't as forced as it should have been given the freakiness of the place. He'd gotten really fond of the little diner during his stay.

"You keep coming in. You on leave?" Sally asked once she made it to his table in the corner of the room a few minutes later.

"On my way home and taking a break before I move on," Jason said with a little shrug. "Just stopped for breakfast before I head out today. What've you got for me this morning?"

She grinned at him and put a fist on her hip as if it was a silly question. "How's about the soldier's delight: two eggs, bacon, ham, hashed potatoes with cheese, toast and a stack of flapjacks? That suit your fancy this morning?"

"Darling," Jason said utterly seriously, "that sounds like heaven. Lay it on me."

She laughed and bustled off to take care of a few dozen other patrons, bellowing his order into the kitchen. Jason settled into his booth and sipped his coffee slowly. He stiffened as Roy Harper and Tim Drake entered the diner in uniforms.

"Hey boys!" Sally called. "You want some coffee?"

"Yes please," Tim called back.

"How about over there?" Roy asked, pointing straight at Jason who tried not to wince.

Tim nodded and they came over. None of them did any introductions because Sally was there, taking orders (one more soldier's delight and then the scaled down version without ham and no cheese on the hashbrowns for Tim) and delivering coffee. Jason could see them studying him so he extended his hand to Roy.

"Jason Todd," Jason said.

"Roy Harper. This is Tim Drake," Roy said. "You out?"

"Heading home," Jason said with another little shrug. "Feels kind of weird. Nothing's quite like I expected it to be."

Roy relaxed, smiling as if he completely understood that. Tim didn't relax at all. If anything his eyes got twice as intense. Rather than hide from the gaze, Jason met it calmly. He had so much to hide that it was practically like not hiding at all. There wasn't a single damned thing he could tell them.

"You didn't say your rank or where you served," Tim observed quietly.

"Not allowed," Jason said just as quietly. "Really not supposed to talk about it at all. Kind of wish I could but it's not a smart thing to do, you know? Some stuff should stay… quiet."

Tim's mouth went into a perfect 'O' while Roy's eyes went wide with shock. They exchanged looks and sat a little straighter as if they were worried that Jason was judging them. He blew a raspberry at them and rolled his eyes, which made Sally laugh as she passed by.

"You don't mind the Sarge here," she said. "He just likes his mysteries."

"Oh, go on and bring our breakfasts," Jason mock-huffed at her. "You're too cute to give a proper hard time to.

She dimpled as she laughed. Once she'd left, Tim looked a little ashamed. The way he bumped shoulders with Roy made Jason think that they might be hiding a deeper relationship. He didn't allow his expression to change. Given that this was a no-Jason 'verse, Roy was a good choice. Not the one Jason would have picked for Tim, but still a good choice. He'd keep Tim safe.

"Sorry," Tim apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Jason said. "We all have our secrets. Some are just a bit deeper than others. So where you two headed?"

He listened as Roy filled the table with small talk, eating quietly once their breakfasts arrived. Tim was equally quiet. Once it was time to leave Jason waved at them and stole the bill. It was comfortably inside of his twenty with room for a good tip. Roy spluttered thanks. Tim cocked his head at Jason.

"You don't need to," Tim said.

"Nope, I don't," Jason said with a wry smile. "Want to. Take it. You're going to do great things. Least I can do is pay for a breakfast for the two of you."

This time Tim blushed and ducked his head, smiling as if he found the respect as strange as Jason found it. They shook hands once outside of the diner. Roy and Tim headed one way up the street. Jason headed in the opposite direction. Yeah, it was a strange world but kind of a nice one. He set it as a safe zone before ducking into an alley and transferring onwards to the next 'verse.


	19. Sky Pirates

"Best. 'Verse. Ever," Jason murmured to himself as he slowly strolled along the railing of the Her Majesty's Airship _Glorianna._

He'd dubbed it the Steampunk 'verse the instant he arrived and saw steam powered carriages and huge blimps overhead driven by steam powered propellers and wings. For once, his gauntlet, belt and shield pack strapped to his right thigh blended in seamlessly. Jason bought himself a pair of automatic binocular goggles and some welder's gloves that would protect his hands against temperatures up to insane thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. He'd even paid extra to get the pair with 'tactile enhancement pads' that allowed him to feel what he was touching through the armored gloves as if he was holding things in his bare hands.

All in all, Jason fit into this 'verse like he'd been born to it. Sadly, he had been born here so he couldn't stay but kicking around for a little while to check things out had been too tempting to resist. After a good stretch of three weeks of being strict with himself and not sticking around to save every goddamned Jason, Timmy, Dick, Steph, Bruce and random demon-spawn he came across (which had pushed his count of 'verses up towards a thousand), he felt like he was owed a little vacation.

"Gotta bring Jay and Tim here," Jason murmured as he reached the tail of the ship and looked back at the mountains they'd just passed through. "They'd so get off on this, even if Tim would have to wear fucking skirts."

He snickered about that for a moment and then went on alert as something flashed in the sky at two o'clock high. Jason put on his goggles and zoomed in. The instant the image cleared he whirled and ran for the speaking tube.

"Pirates!" Jason bellowed into the tube that carried voices throughout the ship. "Pirates to the stern, two o'clock high and approaching fast!"

Alarms blared around Jason and crewmembers in their brass-covered uniforms poured out to join Jason on the rear deck. The Captain appeared moments afterwards, immediately homing in on Jason as the one who'd given the alarm.

"Did you see who it was?" Captain Oliver Queen demanded while pulling out a set of binoculars.

"Let's see," Jason said, scanning the ships as they approached rapidly. "Looks like they've got bat symbols on the hulls and bat wings on the sides."

"Mother of God, not the Bats!" Captain Queen breathed. He swallowed hard and then squared his shoulders. "Give no quarter, men! We can't let them take the shipment or harm our passengers."

He gestured for Jason to head back to safety but Jason glared at him. "Not leaving. I'll fucking help, not hide in some hole."

Captain Queen didn't look happy about it but with the airships zooming closer by the moment he didn't have time to say no. The battle began the next moment as the Bats opened fire on the ship's rudder and propellers. They were obviously going for a capture rather than a kill. Queen's men's weapons were impressive looking but they didn't have the distance, power or accuracy to take out the Bat's ships.

With his goggles, Jason could see people piloting the various small fliers. His opposite number was there, grinning manically as he flew insane patterns while firing at the ship. Dick's flyer was fucking graceful in flight. Damian was flying like the assassin he was. Every time he flew by there was a strike on the rudder. Even Steph was there, in a purple suit, of course.

It was Tim that fascinated Jason though. This Tim looked to be Bruce's age. He was obviously their leader. Seeing Tim older and so obviously in charge was different, though Jason just couldn't quite keep from grinning at the mental title 'Dread Pirate Timmy'. None of Queen's men's shots were doing any real damage against Tim's ships.

"Not working," Jason snapped at Captain Queen. "Give me a shot."

"If you wish to try," Queen said, gesturing for Jason to give it his best.

Jason grinned wolfishly at him and pulled out the pulse gun the Chief had given him before he'd left that world. He dialed it down to the least destructive setting, up to pinpoint and then took aim at Tim's flyer. The engine was obvious and poorly defended so Jason fired on it.

Tim's flyer burst into flames, throwing Tim from it. Jason stared for a long moment with his heart beating against his chest but no parachute opened. No wings emerged from Tim's jacket. He just fell like a rock. The Bats dove after Tim but couldn't catch up while under fire. He tried telling himself that this Tim was a pirate, that he wasn't someone to save, that it wasn't his Tim in any way, shape or form, but the image of soldier Tim with the hole in his head flashed and Jason triggered the tracking function on the gauntlet. He disappeared and reappeared in a flash, falling right next to pirate Tim.

"Hold still!" Jason bellowed at him without expecting pirate Tim to hear him. The wind was too loud around them as they free-fell.

He caught Tim around the chest and transported them up to Jason's flyer. It listed but stabilized almost instantly. Pirate Tim shoved him away, drawing a gun to point it at Jason's face. Pirate Jason was cursing under his breath while struggling to keep his flyer from going down. They obviously had too much weight.

"Who are you?" Pirate Tim demanded.

"I think you know that," Jason said, nodding at his opposite number. "Just from another world, that's all. You got a reason for attacking the _Glorianna?_ "

"Does it matter?" Pirate Tim asked while calculations and questions ran riot behind his eyes. After a moment he nodded slowly. "What if I said it was because Captain Queen was a bounder and a cad who should take better care of his family members?"

"You never do anything for that little cause," Jason countered while fingering his belt. The shield pack would take care of any bullet's Tim fired but he was quite prepared to leave if pirate Jason couldn't pull up soon.

"A small girl died because of his negligence," Tim said grimly. "His adopted son wallows in misery and his bastard son died in poverty while Queen courts her Majesty's hand in marriage. Some things are not to be accepted."

Jason nodded slowly, his heart hurting for Lian, Roy and Conner. He could see Tim deciding that Oliver had to be stopped, especially given all of that. Pirate Jason finally managed to compensate for their extra weight but they had fallen far behind the battle.

"I can see that," Jason said. "He's a bit of a sleaze but I didn't think he was that bad. Didn't see much of him though. All right, I'll get out of your hair. Don't kill the passengers or blow up the ship, Tim. Babs is on the ship with Dinah and she can't get out without help. There's something wrong with her exoskeleton."

"You know entirely too much of us," Tim said while slowly holstering his gun. "The 'problems' are deliberate, not accidental."

"Should know too much," Jason said with a wry smile. "I'm one of you. Sort of. Good luck."

Jason hit his belt and transferred to the ground instead of back to the _Glorianna_. This was still a fucking cool 'verse that he had every intention of coming back to but that wasn't a fight that he could get involved with. Tim and his sky pirates would have to take care of corrupt Captain Queen on their own.


	20. Illusions

"Eeeeeyeah," Jason sighed as he looked around the profoundly primitive village with its dirt road, mud and stick buildings and grass-thatched roofs. "This ain't home."

The sucky thing was that he'd thought that it would be a high tech world, not a primitive one. After traveling through over sixteen hundred 'verses he'd thought that he was detecting a pattern to what he'd find when he jumped through to a new 'verse. According to his calculations, this should have been high tech and instead he had primitive-land. At least no one looked like they were covered with boils so it wasn't a plague world.

He meandered slowly down the street, trying to work out in his head where he went wrong. Jason was so focused on his mental math that it took him a moment to realize that he'd walked into the middle of something way fucking different than his expectations. The sudden switch to gleaming marble sidewalks and brick-paved roads made him stumble but it took a lull in the conversation around him for him to snap back to full awareness.

"I am not familiar with your style of magic, stranger," a Tim in a long black robe with a wand said while aiming it at him.

"Magic?" Jason asked while wondering whether the combination of the shield pack, his belt's new automatic defense mode and the gauntlet would keep him from being hexed into a toad. "I'm not actually doing any magic."

"You are doing something," Tim said suspiciously. "You have dispelled the illusions that protect this village from the Dragonborn."

Jason opened his mouth but the way everyone around him was staring at him with awe and fear made him snap it shut again. He checked his gauntlet, groaning as he realized that his masking signal must have interacted with whatever the hell energy patterns magic caused, canceling them when it made him fit in.

"Sorry," Jason groaned. "I'll get the fuck out. I'm from another world and trying to get home. To get there I have to fit in or I'll destroy everything around me. The gauntlet must have cancelled your protections when it helped me fit in."

Tim slowly lowered his wand while studying Jason's face closely. "I do not know if that will suffice. Raising the protections will be difficult and time consuming."

"Or I could have just made them go wonky for a little bit," Jason countered. "Let me get the hell out of town and we'll see what happens."

He turned and ran out of town, heading far out into the crappy fields that surrounded what was actually a beautiful town with elegant buildings. Once he was well beyond the town's outer limits he turned and looked back. The illusion hadn't come back up. Tim shimmered into place next to him, glaring at Jason.

"Fuck," Jason groaned. "Goddamn it, that's the first fucking time that happened. I am so fucking sorry."

"If you truly feel sorry then you can help defend the village until I get the shields up again," Tim said severely.

He pointed over the trees to where a flight of dragons was homing in on the village with lazy swoops and spirals. Jason cursed under his breath while pulling out his pulse gun. Hopefully the fucking things wouldn't be so armored that he couldn't make a dent. At the very least their wings should be relatively fragile with that membrane stretched thin.

"Can you move the village somewhere else?" Jason snapped at Tim while taking aim on the first dragon. It was setting off his proximity alerts, which made Jason want to curse even harder. Apparently in this 'verse he was a dragon.

"Yes," Tim said, pulling out his wand, "but then you'll be in danger. I can't allow that."

"I'll leave as soon as you guys are gone," Jason growled at him. "Get the fuck out of here! I'll hold them off."

Tim bit his lip but shimmered out of existence. A moment later the entire village started shimmering too but Jason could see that the dragons would get there before it could disappear. He growled and carefully fired on dragon Jason's wings. Dragon Jason roared loudly enough to make Jason's ears ring. The shot didn't appear to have harmed him but it obviously hurt like a motherfucker. The flight changed direction and soared at Jason, anger clear on their scaly faces.

"Great, just fucking great," Jason grumbled while triggering his shields to maximum and dialing the pulse gun up to its highest setting. "Just my fucking luck to get into a fight with another armored monster that wants to fucking eat me. When the hell am I going to learn to mind my own fucking business?"

Six gouts of fire blasted at Jason, roiling upwards when they hit his shields. Jason just barely had the field of vision to see the village disappear, leaving a pit in the ground a half mile across. He nodded grimly and then cursed harder as dragon Jason's tail smacked into his shields hard enough that the inertial dampers failed and he was knocked off of his feet. He heard something snap and his leg felt like something had just stabbed him right where the sheild pack attached to his leg but he didn't let that slow him down. He couldn't if he wanted to survive this and keep Tim's village from being eaten.

"Oh, you are so on, you scaly bastard!" Jason shouted. "Let's see what you got!"

He scrambled to his feet and fired straight into dragon Jason's wing. At the highest setting his pulse gun punched a yard-wide hole through his wing. Dragon Jason screamed in pain, flicking the wing behind his back where it healed so quickly that Jason realized he was completely outclassed. From the furious look on dragon Jason's face, this was only going to get worse.

Another dragon hit Jason's shields, knocking him off of his feet again. A third hit propelled him like a giant soccer ball across the field and into the pit left by the vanished town. Jason cursed breathlessly as he arrived and then shouted and hit the emergency escape button as dragon Jason leaped down into the pit with his jaws gaping and claws extended. He landed in the middle of the Batcave with a thud that made Jason groan. From the way his leg was hurting he might just have a broken thighbone.

"You again?" Damian snapped. "What happened this time?"

"Dragons," Jason groaned. He sat up and cursed a blue streak. Yeah, broken leg which meant yet another delay in getting home. That fucking sucked but at least he'd allowed mage Tim the time to save his village. This was one time the other Jason was definitely not getting the Timmy.

"Really?" Damian asked with obvious fascination. "I do hope that you recorded the encounter. That must have been quite a sight."

Jason groaned and collapsed back against the stone floor. "D, just call Jay and Tim, will you? I broke my fucking leg. You can see what little I got later. Fucking brat."

"I have not given you the right to apply a nom de plume to me," Damian snarled while calling upstairs. "I insist that you stop using that, that _nickname_ immediately!"

"Sure thing, D. Sure thing."

Jason grinned weakly as Damian cursed at him. He'd obviously been working on his invective for a while. It was a lot better than the last time Jason had spent some time in this 'verse. Rather than say anything else, Jason settled for very carefully powering down and taking off his shield pack. He really had to spend some time to improve how powerful impacts were processed. At least it looked like he'd get the time now, as little as he wanted it.


	21. Public Eye

"So," Steph said while strolling down the street with Jason, "why exactly are we in another 'verse when you're still hobbling on crutches?"

"Because you gotta see this," Jason said with the same wicked grin that had compelled Steph to leave her work behind and follow him to another world with a blocker bracelet on her wrist. "Seriously, you gotta see this. It's gold, absolute fucking gold!"

"No, I meant that you promised that you'd take it easy," Steph said while eyeing him. "Other worlds, especially ones that you don't know, aren't taking it easy."

Jason growled at her. Steph grinned. She probably should take this Jay's growls more seriously than her Jay's growls but she just couldn't. He tried so hard to be big and intimidating but he was a softie at heart and it showed if you knew him. Add in Jason struggling with crutches with a cast on his leg and there just wasn't any way that she could be intimidated.

"I figured out what was wrong with my math," Jason grumbled at her. "Stupid sign error. Doesn't matter now. I got finding my world narrowed down to about ten 'verses. I'm almost home. I chose this one to test and see if I was right on the math and nailed it. No Jason, no Bat, Bruce's parents never died, he's a celebrity, not a hero."

"Whoa, seriously?" Steph asked. She couldn't quite wrap her head around that concept. "Hey, are we going to the mall? Shoes from another 'verse would be cool."

"No, we're going to the Barnes and Noble across the street," Jason said. He nodded towards the store on other side of the street. "Magazine section. Just about killed me when I saw it."

"Saw what?" Steph asked.

"You'll see," Jason said, rolling his eyes at her. "Geez, have a little patience, will you?"

Once they entered the store, Jason led her straight to the variety section of the bookstore's magazine racks. Bruce's face looked back at them from at least half of the magazines and newspapers. He had on his best Brucie face. She snatched up one of them, staring at Bruce with his arm draped a bit too familarly around Tim's shoulders with his other hand resting on Damian's slightly uncomfortably lovingly on Damian's neck. Dick was all but draped over Bruce's back, grinning at the camera.

"This is creepy," Steph said. "He never shows that much emotion."

"Yup," Jason said with that same huge grin. "I swear, he's like this 'verse's answer to Michael Jackson."

"Ewwww," Steph groaned. "That's gross! Are you serious?"

"That's what most of the mags think," Jason said. He started pulling off magazines and piling them into Steph's arms. "Here, hold these for me. I can't do it with the damned crutches."

"You got money?" Steph asked suspiciously. "Because no way am I trying to run off with these, belt or no belt."

"Of course I have money," Jason snapped at her. "Got that ages ago."

He held up a debit card that Steph recognized as one of the gimmicked ones that Tim had invented a while back. Jason would have as much money as he needed with that thing, which made Steph shake her head in dismay. They bought a huge stack of magazines, Steph enduring the bored-disgusted expression on the teller's face, and then headed back home to her 'verse and up to Jason's room.

"Wow," Steph breathed as she read through the magazines with Jason. "This is kind of creepy. They're us but not us at all."

"I know," Jason agreed. "Now you know why I have such a hard time moving on every time I hit a new world. It's fucking hard not to track down what the differences are and why they happened."

"So what happened here?" Steph asked, waving a picture of Bruce with his 'boys' that made her skin crawl from the emotion Bruce displayed and the extreme closeness that he and his boys seemed to share. Seeing stoic, determined Bruce smiling that brightly and living that open a life just felt wrong.

Jason shrugged. "Basically, Bruce never fell down the well. Never was afraid of bats. Never lost his parents and thus never trained or angsted or any of the rest of it. But he's obviously still just as magnetic as our Bruce's are and he adopted kids who needed someone to love them. Unfortunately, that's…"

"Turned out really, seriously creepy," Steph said with a shudder. "Man, I'm glad that our Bruce's Brucie act is just that: an act."

"No shit." Jason tossed her his current magazine and set to work on the next one.

"You know, most people would be watching porn," Steph said after a moment. "Not living vicariously through the lives of his alternates."

"Fuck you," Jason growled at her. "Porn is private. I'm sick of sitting in here alone. I'm surprised that you're not clipping the articles on D to throw in his face the next time he gets unbearable. 'The cute youngest boy'?"

Steph paused, looked at the magazine in front of her and started laughing her very best evil laugh. Jason grinned at her and nodded approval. He tossed her his knife and settled back to read the other magazines he had by his side.

"This is going to be way too much fun," Steph chuckled. "Have to get the ones on Dick and Tim too. They'll scream when they see this stuff!"

"Watch out for Bruce," Jason murmured. "He'll go mental."

"Nope, he'll probably add it to his act." They exchanged wry grins and went back to their separate enjoyment of the articles.


	22. Kitty Cat

The suit clung to Tim's body like it had been painted on. Instead of the graceful, vaguely avian moves that Jason was used to, this Tim moved like a cat. Specifically, he moved like Catwoman. Despite the fact that this was obviously not Jason's home, he stayed and watched as Tim in his cat suit rolled and tumbled his way from building to building. He was half hard just watching Tim go.

It was obvious the moment that Tim noticed Jason. Tim's whole posture changed from casual fun while going about his business to such focused intensity it was kind of like that time Jason was hunted by a black jaguar. The green goggles obviously let him see Jason hiding in the shadows. He approached so cautiously that Jason had to wonder what had happened between this 'verse's Jason and Kitten Tim.

"What do you want, Red Hood?" Tim snarled.

"Red Hood?" Jason asked.

He stepped out of the shadows and cocked his head at Tim. Tim's eyes went wide and he stepped back, hands (complete with claws) at the ready. Jason watched as Tim's eyes cataloged the differences one by one: goggles, gloves, gauntlet, pulse gun, belt, shield pack, fucking cane because his leg wasn't back to full strength yet but he was sick of waiting to go home.

"Multiverse?" Tim asked cautiously.

"How the hell many of us went wandering?" Jason asked in surprise.

Tim laughed and lowered his arms. "Obviously more than one. Mine came back. He's…"

"Crazy, yeah," Jason sighed. "Saw that when I checked the web. Just wasn't sure where things changed until I saw you."

Tim stiffened and stared his creepy-stalker stare at Jason. Jason laughed and walked to the edge of the roof, looking out over the Gotham that was as close to home as any he'd seen yet. His models had said that the ten 'verses on his list were the most likely to be home. Looked like it from what he could see. Things were so damned close to home that it hurt.

"I'm the difference?" Tim asked after a long moment.

He came and stood next to Jason on the edge of the roof, carefully staying just outside of cane range. Jason smiled at that. So much like the Tim he remembered and yet so very different. That suit was hella distracting.

"Yup," Jason confirmed. "Looks like you chose Selina over Bruce. In my world you were the third Robin, after I died."

"Ah," Tim breathed. He nodded slowly as if that confirmed something that he'd often wondered about. "Selina must not have caught me stalking Bruce and Dick in your 'verse."

"Nope," Jason said. "You're fucking sexy in that suit, you know. They all must hit on you."

Tim went beet red and glared sideways at Jason. He shrugged and chuckled. Despite this Tim's raw sex appeal, Jason had no intention of hitting on him. He was a little younger than his Tim and just different enough that it held no appeal. All Jason wanted was to get home to his world, his family and his Tim, no matter how much everything had changed over the last few years.

"How long have you been traveling?" Tim asked after seething for a little bit.

"Almost seventeen hundred worlds," Jason sighed. "Seems like forever. Works out to a couple of years for me."

"Seventeen _hundred…?_ " Tim breathed. He stared at Jason and then snapped his head around to look out over the city when he realized Jason was smiling at him. "You must have seen a lot of different versions of yourself."

"And you," Jason agreed. He deliberately banished soldier Tim and whore Tim from his mind, grinning wickedly at Kitten Tim. "In one you were the Dread Sky Pirate Timothy, scourge of the airways."

"I'm a pirate?" Kitten Tim asked, grinning at Jason with more open delight than he had any right to expect. "Is that where you got your gear?"

"The goggles and gloves, yes," Jason chuckled. "The belt and gauntlet came from a 'verse where you're a girl—high tech 'verse. The shield pack came from a different one where you're a scientist. I've seen you as a prince, a mage, a noble, rich, poor, old, young, alive…"

"Dead," Tim said, cocking his head curiously at Jason. "And it's bothering you."

Jason sighed and leaned a little more heavily on his cane. He really shouldn't be up and around. The cast had only come off yesterday. His leg was still weak. Tim was going to skin him alive once she got her hands on him. Not to mention that the pain killers he was taking were obviously loosening his fucking tongue.

"You were a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars," Jason said very quietly. "You got shot."

"Ah," Tim said with a little nod. He stared out over Gotham for a long moment. "Seventeen hundred worlds. No wonder you seem a lot more mature and in control than my Jason."

"Actually, that's probably from the bleed-through effect of the crazy Jason who took my place," Jason growled. "He's been distorting my reality around him ever since he got there. My scans have shown signs that his Multiversal collapse effect is expanding out of that 'verse and into other ones. Hopefully once I get back home I can isolate him, take him back where the fucker belongs and things will slowly return to normal."

"Why would he leave his world?" Tim asked while thoughtfully tapping his claws on his elbow.

"In his world, Bruce became R'as' right hand man when he did his walkabout thing as a young man," Jason said grimly. "All of the versions of us there were raised to be his assassins. I don't blame him for wanting to get the fuck away. I just won't let him destroy my world or the Multiverse in the process."

Tim turned and stared his creepy stalker stare at Jason. The Tim's that Jason had been meeting hadn't had the full-intensity stare. They were different enough that the other Tim's hadn't had Jason's Tim's stare. This Tim had it down pat. It was creepily like home, except for the cat suit that all but pointed attention at Tim's crotch.

"Should you tell me this?" Tim asked finally.

"Doesn't hurt anything," Jason said with a casual half-shrug. His leg was throbbing bad enough that he needed the other shoulder to support his weight with the cane. "Besides, once I succeed you'll understand why your Jason slowly goes sane again."

"Ah." Tim nodded thoughtfully. He stared at Jason for a little longer and then smirked. "Well, as pleasant as this has been, I do have robberies to commit and passwords to steal. Good luck on your quest."

"Good luck to you too," Jason laughed. "See ya, Kitty Cat."

"At least that's better than Kitten," Tim growled at him.

He turned and ran for the other side the building's room, gracefully tumbling to the next one over. Jason recorded him and then pressed his belt to go back to Jay's world. No matter how impatient he was to get home, it probably wasn't a good idea to head straight back until his leg was back to full strength. If Kitten Tim's Jason was anything to judge by, he was going to have one hell of a battle on his hands when he did finally get home.

"Where the hell have you been?" Tim demanded once he arrived back in the cave.

"Check this one out," Jason said as he called up Kitten Tim's image. "That's you."

Jay whistled in awe, his pants tenting out in appreciation for Kitten Tim's pure sex appeal. Tim's jaw dropped open as she stared at her opposite number. For a long moment she just stared, then her mouth worked but no sound came out.

"What is he _wearing?_ " Tim wailed.


	23. Deserted Island

"Fucking _Temperance,_ " Jason grumbled as he strapped on his belt again for the first time in almost two full months. "She didn't have to take the fucking thing away."

"You did push it way too soon," Jay said with a little shrug that said he agreed but wasn't going to back Jay against his girlfriend. "At least your leg is properly healed and you're back to full strength. Two months of rehabilitation should be worth it when you get home."

"I could have been home by now!" Jason snarled at him. "You know damn well that there are only nine worlds left to check."

Jay nodded and made shooing gestures at Jason. They'd been through this particular argument so many times in the last seven weeks that Jason thought that they could argue each other's parts with perfect ease, not that it would have done them any good. Tim hadn't budged one fucking inch and she'd had the belt. Bringing back recordings of Kitten Tim hadn't been as good of a distraction as Jason had expected. If anything it had made Tim determined not to let Jason go home until he was at the top of his game. Not a bad thought but fucking frustrating as hell when he was _this_ close to finding where he belonged.

"Don't hesitate to come back if you have any problems," Tim said as Jason strapped on his shield pack and the pulled on his jacket.

"I will, I will," Jason huffed at her. "Quit fussing at me."

She glared at him. He glared back. Once he had all his equipment on, including the gloves and goggles, Jason triggered his belt without another word. No way was he holding off any longer. It felt good to be traveling again. The weird thing was that Jason had gotten so used to travelling that he wasn't sure he'd be comfortable staying in one world once he got home.

"Kon, come on Kon. Drink a little more."

Jason frowned. Instead of materializing in Gotham he'd landed on what looked like a tropical island. Palm trees swayed overhead. Bugs chirped in the shrubs. And somewhere off to his right he could hear a younger-sound Tim pleading with Kon to drink something. He followed the sound of Tim's voice, wincing at the sight that revealed itself once he pushed through the palms.

Kon was lying on the porch of an old, broken down house. He had bandages around his chest that had blood slowly soaking through them. Jason checked his gauntlet and nodded slowly that this was a dead-Jason 'verse. Not home but this Tim was very close to his Tim.

"What happened?" Jason asked as he strode over.

"How did you get… here?" Tim asked. He froze when he registered what Jason looked like.

"Long story," Jason said. He knelt and checked the bandages. "Damn, not good. Okay, kryptonite bullets or regular ones? What happened?"

"We were, were going on vacation," Tim said, his hands trembling ever so slightly on Kon's arm. "The pilot turned on us, shot Kon, jumped out of the plane. I managed to crash us very close to shore but he'd destroyed the radio. I've been so busy tending to Kon that I couldn't fix it."

Jason nodded grimly. Kon wasn't going to last much longer without proper help. He added another layer of bandages from one of his belt's pouches and then stood. Tim stood too, grabbing Jason's sleeve as if to keep him from disappearing.

"I need to go get help," Jason told Tim as calmly as he could. "I'm no good at this sort of thing but I know someone who is. Stay with him. I'll be back in a minute at most."

"A, a minute?" Tim asked, staring at him.

"Yup, just a minute."

He patted Tim's hands, which startled him enough that he let go. Jason went back to Tim and Jay's 'verse, grabbed the first aid kit, slapped a bracelet on the startled Tim and hauled her back to the island with castaway Tim and Kon. She gasped and grabbed the kit out of Jason's hand, hurrying over to set to work on treating Kon.

"She's me," Tim breathed.

"Yes, and I can use a second set of hands here," Temperance said.

"Oh, right."

Unsurprisingly they worked like they had the same brain. In less than five minutes Temperance and Tim had the bullets out of Kon, his bullet wounds disinfected and closed up and an IV started so that he'd get the fluids he'd lost back. Jason watched from the background and then prodded Temperance into standing once Kon was as good as he was going to get with first aid.

"Come on," Jason said. "I should get you home so that I can transfer them to the mainland."

"Yeah," Temperance said a little faintly.

"What?" Jason asked.

"My Kon stayed dead," Temperance said with a shrug that was probably intended to be casual. It came off as hurting instead.

"Thank you for saving mine," Tim said.

"You're welcome," Temperance said with one of her freaky little smiles that made her look just like Jason's Tim despite the fact that she was a girl and fucking stacked.

"Back in a minute," Jason said.

He didn't bother with explanations either to Jay or to castaway Tim. There wasn't much of a point. Jason just deposited Temperance in Jay's lap so that he could comfort her and then went back to carry Kon and castaway Tim back to Gotham. The Batcave was blessedly empty when they arrived, which was a relief. The last thing that Jason really wanted at this point was more delays.

"Who are you?" Tim asked. "I know who you are of course, but… what… who _are_ you?"

"Jason Todd," Jason said with a shrug and a wry smile. "Got lost in the Multiverse. I'm on my way home. Take care of Kon. I think he needs you."

"Yeah, I guess he does," Tim said with that under confident smile that always drove Jason nuts when they were younger, or at least when he was younger.

"He does," Jason reassured Tim. "He really does. Might be crap at saying it clearly but he does need you. Kon just has no confidence in himself, you know? Not where it counts, anyway."

Tim went beet red and smiled a real smile that time. Jason threw a mock salute at him as the elevator to the mansion engaged. No way was he sticking around to deal with Bruce. Instead he transferred back to the island so that he could have a bit of peace while checking his figures. This should have been a 'verse with Jason Todd, not a dead-Jason 'verse.

"Fucking math," Jason sighed as he settled onto the porch to check his math yet again. "Oh well, better to be sure than to just blunder around out here. I already know how much good that does. Least it's a nice place to settle for a bit while I work on it. Can always come back and get a tan later."


	24. White Knight

"Okay, this I did not expect," Jason murmured while hurrying down the street with his face down.

Star Trek mirror 'verse applied to his life was the weirdest fucking thing he'd encountered yet. This one beat everything he'd seen so far, hands down. Batman was the ruler of Gotham. Kal-El was working to conquer the universe. Lex Luthor was a good guy, fighting a desperate, hopeless fight against not only the alien Kryptonians but also against those like Batman who'd sided with them.

And Jason Todd was this 'verse's most wanted man. At least he didn't look all that much like Jason. This was the first true blond Jason that he'd encountered, not that he'd found his opposite number quite yet. Tracking him down was turning out to be a bit of a problem, enough so that Jason was seriously contemplating moving on to the next 'verse without getting his questions answered.

"There!"

Jason whirled and cursed as Tim Drake's assassins charged at him. Tim was there, sporting the apparently requisite goatee, though it looked a little dorky on him. The murderous glee in his eyes was very real though.

"Fucking hell," Jason growled as he triggered his shield belt and pulled his pulse gun. "This isn't my fight, Drake."

"I beg to differ, White Knight," Tim said with a far too confident smirk. "Dying your hair isn't going to disguise your looks enough to fool me."

"No?" Jason said. "Well, how about splitting myself into two? Look behind you."

Tim sighed as if it was the oldest trick in the book. He didn't look, instead signaling his men to open fire even though there were civilians behind Jason who would be caught in the line of fire. Jason widened his shield so that it went from one side of the street to the other, protecting those behind him. The bullets pinged and ricocheted off of his shield, making Tim's men flinch and back off.

"You really should have looked, Drake," the other Jason said while pressing a gun to the back of Tim's head.

"What the hell?" Tim gasped. He froze as White Knight Jason cocked his gun.

"Tell them to drop their weapons," White Knight Jason said. "Tell them!"

"You won't kill me," Tim said with a confident smirk that distorted his face into something truly evil.

"He might not, but I will," Jason said.

He triggered his belt and moved right up to Tim's face. His shield knocked Tim's men off of their feet and into the walls of the building. Up close evil Tim really didn't look all that much like his Tim, which helped. Jason pulled his pulse gun and set it against evil Tim's chest.

"I've already killed one of you," Jason said as fiercely as he could. "Want to try for two?"

"Multiverse?" White Knight Jason asked.

"Yup."

"Hmm, I had the opportunity to go," White Knight Jason said far too thoughtfully, "but I declined. I had… more important things to tend to."

"Be glad you didn't," Jason told him while pressing harder against evil Tim's chest. "I've been lost for fucking ages."

They both stared at him. Jason rolled his eyes and slowly thumbed his pulse gun to higher and higher levels. It only took about three seconds for evil Tim to realize that he was dealing with the opposite of his regular Jason. The pure alarm at that thought nearly made Jason pull the gun away but he didn't.

"Drop your weapons!" Tim bellowed at his men.

"About damned time," Jason huffed at him. "Seriously, I'm not like him. Am on his side but not like him at all."

Tim's men dropped their weapons, backing away from them carefully. Jason didn't worry about that. He looked at White Knight Jason over Tim's shoulder. White Knight Jason looked almost as worried about Jason as evil Tim did.

"Where do you want him?" Jason asked. "I can do that teleporting thing to pretty much any coordinates on the planet."

"Nice," White Knight Jason said with an appreciative grin. "I do have a secret lair that would work fairly well."

Getting evil Tim secured took about five minutes of the sort of bombastic, pompous speechifying that Jason was used to hearing out of Lex Luthor. It kind of hurt his brain to listen to Tim saying crap like that. He was seriously glad when the door shut this Tim's voice out. The whole place was freaking the living fuck out of him.

"He's not evil in your world, is he?" White Knight Jason said just a bit too gently.

"No, he's one of the good guys," Jason sighed.

"That means that you're one of the bad guys?" White Knight Jason asked. His eyes looked way bluer when paired with white-blond hair.

"Not so much," Jason sighed. "Don't necessarily follow all the rules but I do try and do the right thing. It's not as simple as good and evil, I'm afraid. Though I suspect it will be once I get home. My place got stolen by another Jason, a crazy one."

"Ouch," White Knight Jason said. He looked off into the distance and then nodded slowly. "You need a helmet or something, you know. You shouldn't go wandering around with nothing protecting your head."

"Got shields," Jason said a little grumpily. "They work."

"All the time?" White Knight Jason asked with exactly the right arched eyebrow to let Jason know that his blond twin had seen right through him.

That was definitely one of the hazards of talking to his opposites. They always saw through him. The closer he got to home the better they were at seeing through him, which really sucked. Jason knew perfectly well that a helmet would help protect him. It would also conceal his identity better than the little white mask that Steph had given him so long ago. Once he got home it was probably going to be important to be able to conceal his identity.

"Fine," Jason grumbled. "But it better not be some stupid football helmet or something. Bad enough that I have to enclose my head. I hate that. Besides, I want something that'll work with my goggles. Things are useful."

"I hate it too," White Knight Jason confided. "That's why I designed my helmet with enhanced vision sensors and hearing equipment so that it doesn't feel like I'm wearing a helmet. Well, not as much, anyway."

He went to a cabinet and pulled out a helmet that was as white as Jason's mask or White Knight Jason's hair. Jason made a face but he tried it on. It took a heart-thumping three seconds for the equipment to kick in but once it did he did almost feel like he wasn't wearing a helmet at all. The goggles were useless with it, but they weren't really needed as the helmet performed the same functions. Jason nodded slowly. He'd keep the goggles just in case the helmet failed. They should be safe enough in his pocket for now.

"Can I do anything for you?" Jason asked. His voice came out weird, modulated by the helmet's computers.

"No, you already did enough," White Knight Jason said. "I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get through to Timothy now that I have him here. He isn't really evil, just… confused."

"Good luck with that," Jason said.

"Good luck to you too," White Knight Jason said.

Jason waved a salute that White Knight Jason responded to crisply. He couldn't help but smile. In the Evil Goatee 'verse Jason was the good guy. Too weird for fucking words. He pressed the trigger on his belt rather than say anything else. It was time to move on anyway.


	25. Destiny

"That… that can't be right," Jason said with his heart in his throat.

The computer screen didn't change. In this 'verse Jason was a killer, an out and out serial killer who'd offed who knows how many people. He'd started gang wars, committed more crimes than any guy his age should have and only just been captured by Batman and Robin. He was upset enough by the information the computer showed him that Jason barely registered the librarian's nervousness until a cop arrived and she abruptly relaxed.

"Care to tell me who you are?" The cop said with his hand on his gun.

"That… I look like him, right?" Jason said, pointing at the screen with every bit of his revulsion showing. "It's not just me, is it?"

"No," the cop said slowly. "You do look like him. Why?"

"I was…" Jason took a deep breath and held it as he marshaled his lies and truths and constructed what he hoped would be an effective cover. "I was adopted. Back when I was a baby. I've been searching for my family ever since I turned eighteen but… that can't be right."

"Oh fuck," the cop breathed.

He abruptly pulled out the chair next to Jason and sat down with an equally sick expression on his face. Jason didn't say anything as the cop stared at the screen and then turned to look at Jason's face. The librarian who'd called the cop now had a horrified expression on her face, as if this was the saddest thing she'd ever heard.

"I'm sorry, kid," the cop said. "Maybe you ought to give up the search."

"I think it's a little too late for that," Jason said while rubbing his face. He was really glad that White Knight Jason's helmet collapsed down to a little tube when not in use. It would have been way too incriminating if he'd had to have it out in the open. And that the library was seriously cold so he'd kept his jacket on, hiding his gauntlet, guns and belt. "Did he really do all of that? Kill all those people?"

"Yeah," the cop sighed. "He did but you're not him."

The cop helped Jason piece together everything that had happened. This Jason Todd had gone seriously off the rails a year or so ago. He'd changed from a relatively foul-mouthed but upstanding young man adopted into Bruce Wayne's family into a psycho killer over the course of less than two months. Not quite overnight but well within the parameters that he'd theorized for the displaced Jason's Multiversal collapse effect.

"So basically he just went off the rails," Jason said after about an hour of talk and Internet searches.

"As far as anyone can tell," said Randy, the actually rather nice cop. "There's nothing to say that you will."

"Except genetics," Jason sighed. "Fuck. This is just great. I finally find what I'm looking for and it's a worse nightmare than anything I ever imagined."

"Genetics isn't destiny," Randy declared. "You've done well in your life so far, right?"

"More or less," Jason said.

"Then just keep doing what you're doing." Randy was serious and intent as he looked into Jason's eyes. He obviously really meant what he was saying. "You're not Jason Todd. You're you. Live your life, Pete. Do your best. Be who you were meant to be, not what he turned out to be. That's all that anyone can do. His crimes are his. Don't make them yours."

Jason nodded and smiled sadly. He parted from Randy with a firm handshake. The librarian gave him a fierce hug and a whispered blessing. It didn't raise his mood. Randy was right and yet he was wrong. Those weren't his crimes. They weren't things that he would ever do. But he was Jason Todd.

"I am Jason Todd, the real Jason Todd," Jason murmured as he put on his helmet and got ready to try the next 'verse. "I just hope that my fucking copy hasn't screwed up my world as badly as this one is."

He knew it was a vain hope. The closer he got to home the more like what he'd find in the real world things would be. Crazy Jason had to have become a killer, a mass murderer. Jason only hoped that he hadn't taken it out on Tim and the others. Pushing the button to go to the next 'verse took more nerve than normal.

"Please let this be home," Jason whispered as he finally pushed the button. "Please. I just want to go home."


	26. Consequences

Something about this Tim was bothering Jason. He tried to track it down in the back of his head while explaining about where he'd been and what he'd done while trying to get home. It was very odd. Tim looked at him and Jason said things that he never would have normally, including explaining all about soldier Tim and whore Tim.

There was also the faint but overwhelming smell of blood. Jason wasn't sure where it was coming from but it seemed to be all around him. Strangely, it got stronger as Tim led him into the Batcave, though Jason wasn't completely certain how they'd gotten there. He'd found Tim downtown in Gotham on a rooftop. They shouldn't have been able to get here so quickly, unless Jason used his belt but he didn't remember using his belt. He wouldn't have used his belt for no good reason and where was that fucking blood smell coming from?

"So you think you're almost home?" Tim said, his voice far too smooth.

His eyes gleamed strangely in the darkness of the Batcave. All of the lights were off. All of them, even the ones that led up to the manor. It was so dark that Jason could barely see Tim as he took another step closer with his hands behind his back in a pose that Jason recognized instinctively as 'trying not to be threatening until I get close enough'.

"Yeah," Jason said. He blinked his eyes and rubbed his forehead. When had he taken off his helmet? Why had he taken it off? This Gotham was seriously fucked up. He shouldn't have taken it off. "Probably just six worlds at most. Maybe sooner. I think I finally got the fucking math figured out. Seriously, if I'd known how much math and goddamned science was needed when I went off with Donna I'd have stayed the fuck home."

Tim laughed as if he'd been surprised into it. His teeth flashed for a moment and Jason stared at his mouth.

"Fangs," Jason said. His brains felt like they were made of molasses. "You have fangs. This place stinks of blood."

"Jason," Tim said in an even smoother tone of voice, one that held hints of threat and sex and violence and love and lust, all wrapped up in blue eyes that shifted red and glimmered in the darkness.

"Holy fucking shit!" Jason snapped while slapping his shield on. "You're a goddamned vampire!"

The shield did absolutely nothing to protect him from Tim's Vampiric mind-fuck, which was one hell of a fucking whammy. It did keep him from getting fed on as Tim leaped at him, mouth gaping open as wide as dragon Jason's had. Tim even had the long bloody claws that dragon Jason had used, just in human scale. He rebounded off of the shield and snarled as he landed on all fours.

"Please tell me I didn't do this to you," Jason pleaded as he fumbled his helmet out and put it back on. "Seriously, I need to know what happened."

"It was you," Tim growled at him. It took a moment for the systems on Jason's helmet to initialize and then give him a clear view of the Batcave. "You were the one that invited the master vampire into Gotham. You allowed him into the house. You got me infected."

"Oh hell," Jason breathed.

Bodies lay in the corners of the cave. He could see the Joker, Two Face and the Penguin tumbled next to what looked like a random gangbanger. Near the stairs, Damian's little body lay twisted, as if he'd fought against being transformed and won in death. It looked like his neck had broken after he'd fallen down the stairs.

"Bruce and Dick too?" Jason asked desperately.

"Dick escaped," Tim said as he stood. His eyes were still red and the fangs made him slur his words ever so slightly. "He escaped. Bruce, Bruce was dead before this happened. Alfred escaped too. I made sure. I couldn't do much more but I made sure of that."

"And your Jason?" Jason asked while initiating a white noise that helped cut the hypnotic effect enough that he didn't feel like he had to drop the shields right fucking now. "Alive, dead, vamp or what?"

"What, actually," Tim said while snarling with frustration that Jason hadn't submitted. "He was taken by a rival vampire clan after he betrayed us. I believe he's their second now."

"Fucking hell," Jason sighed. "Goddamn it. Okay, I obviously already spilled everything. Did I tell you that when I get rid of the Jason who took my place things should go back to normal, more or less?"

"Will this go away?" Tim asked. He waved at the cave and the dead bodies surrounding them.

"…no," Jason whispered. "I can't turn back time. I can only keep the worlds from collapsing in on each other. I'm sorry, so fucking sorry, Tim."

"Save it," Tim snapped. "Apologies do no good. If I could I would turn you to make you my ally against my Jason."

"Hold that thought," Jason said.

He checked his gauntlet and transferred back to the early world where he was a werewolf. The Batcave there was empty, which was a fucking blessing. This was one thing he really didn't want to have to explain to anyone. Jason took a stash of supplies, guns, ammo, stakes and holy water that Bruce had specially enhanced before returning to vampire Tim's 'verse. They had so many supplies in that 'verse that a few transferred over to vampire Tim wouldn't hurt anything.

"Here," Jason said. He set the stuff down and then backed far enough away that Tim could get at the stuff. "Specially designed for working against vampires. Hit another world early on where my other self led a werewolf pack that served some vampires. Bruce was working to wipe them out so that he could save the other me. Hopefully they'll help you."

Tim stared at him. His creepy stalker stare was a thousand times more effective with the addition of vampire mind-fuck powers. After a moment he knelt and studied the weapons. He raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

"They may help," Tim allowed. "Why choose me over your other self?"

"I'll always choose you," Jason whispered. "I… I can't do anything else. Timothy Drake is my personal kryptonite. You're fucking irresistible."

Tim started and stared at him, a smile that was almost like his old shy smile on his face. He laughed quietly before standing with the heavy machine gun held easily in one hand. Jason looked at him, his stomach starting to heave at what had been done to this Tim.

"Get out," Tim said. "This isn't your world and you aren't wanted here."

"Good luck," Jason said.

He didn't wait for a reply. Jason transferred to the next 'verse, finding himself on top of a very familiar roof in the Narrows. Bile burned at his throat as Jason fumbled the helmet off. The vomiting quickly turned to dry heaves that left him panting and aching. Before putting the helmet back on, Jason spit to try and get the taste out of his mouth.

"Fucking hell," Jason whispered once it was back in place. "Just… fucking hell."

He sat against the wall next to his vomit for a long while, listening to the white noise filling his ears. Jason had to wonder if the last few 'verses would tell him something about what home would be like once he found it. Tim transformed into something completely different from what he had been; the world invaded by evil, dark forces; Jason in prison for murder on a grand scale; Bruce dead and gone; the family scattered and broken; all of it could hold hints of what he should expect.

Jason really didn't want the other worlds to be predicting his home world's condition but he was pretty sure they would be.

"Better get off my ass and back to work," Jason sighed after a minute spent battling completely idiotic tears at the concept.

He turned off the white noise, stood up and looked out over the city he'd arrived in. It looked just like home but vampire Tim's world had too. Gotham always had been a fucked up mess. There were subtle little changes from what he remembered of this block of the Narrows but the simple passage of time could account for that. He would have sworn that the little cigarette and booze shop across the street had a purple awning but it had been old, faded to nearly gray. They might have decided to replace it with green when it wore out.

"So, what do we have?" Jason murmured.

He checked his gauntlet for the first time since arriving and stared. The Displaced Jason light was on. The 'you don't belong here' light was off. He'd never seen the damn thing off since he put the gauntlet on for the first time. It took a moment for the meaning to soak into his stressed out brain.

Home. This was home.

Jason stared at his gauntlet in shock until the proximity alert for Dick, Damian, Steph and Tim started blinking all at once. Given the rate that they were approaching, Oracle must have noticed him and called them in. He triggered the tracking on his helmet and raised an eyebrow when he saw the Batmobile coming from one direction. Tim on his Ducati in a red Robin suit with a cowl was approaching from a different direction. Steph in Batgirl's suit was approaching from the rear over the rooftops.

"So Dick is Batman, Steph is Batgirl, the demon spawn is Robin and Tim's… what?" Jason whispered. "They've all changed, haven't they?"

Jason took a step back away from the edge of the roof. Not yet. He couldn't do this yet. Not after seeing Tim as a vampire and realizing what his other self had done. There was no way that he could face them all yet. At the very least he needed to brush his fucking teeth first.

"I'll be back," Jason said to the air, to himself, to Tim as he leaped off of the Ducati and ran for the building Jason was on. "I'll see you later."

He transferred back to the deserted island and stripped off his helmet and gloves. Jason hadn't expected that, hadn't been ready. There was no shame in retreating until he'd had a chance to get his shit back together.

"I found home," Jason said as he went into the old house and tossed his jacket on the bed. "Now I just have to reclaim my place. Somehow."

He could only hope that he'd have a place worth reclaiming once he did go back.

+++++

Tim stared at the small puddle of vomit that the person who could not be Jason Todd had left behind. So many things about this bothered him. How had Jason escaped from prison? Where had he gotten the equipment that Tim had seen so briefly? Why use it if it caused that level of nausea? Or was the nausea caused by something else entirely?

"He got away," Dick said in Batman's growly voice. "Some sort of teleportational device. You're sure that it was Jason?"

"It certainly looked like him," Oracle said into Tim's and the other's ears. "Pinged all my tracking programs the instant he showed up. I have some blurry pictures of his face that suggest that he is Jason, though the hair color is off."

Tim knelt next to the vomit and took a sample. Damian had that look on his face that implied he was questioning Tim's sanity and competence yet again. As annoying as it was to see Damian in the suit, and sporting that attitude, Tim ignored him until his sample was tucked away.

"Why?" Steph asked quietly.

"DNA," Tim said with a tiny shrug. "Pictures can be inconclusive. I should be able to determine if his DNA matches Jason's from this. If Jason has found a way to escape from prison at will we need to know."

"Agreed," Dick said in his voice this time. "I really don't want him running around loose."

They all started as Alfred quietly 'ahem'ed' at them. Alfred hadn't done that in a very long time, and normally wouldn't for anything other than an all out battle between them. Or for something truly momentous like the world being invaded yet again.

"I believe you may wish to report back," Alfred said in a voice that held both excitement and what sounded suspiciously like tears. "Master Bruce… Master Bruce is back, with Master Clark."

"Oh my God," Tim breathed.

His spine felt like it had been turned to simultaneous fire and ice. Nothing any of the others said made any sense. He stayed frozen in place with his thoughts tumbling like falling bricks through his head until Dick suddenly bolted for the edge of the roof, followed quickly by the others. It felt like being in a small herd of lemmings because the moment the others moved Tim had to move as well.

The ride back to the cave was a blur. Tim knew without caring that he would never be able to remember the route they took or if police chased them at any point. All that mattered was getting home. Getting back to Bruce.

He was there, waiting, when they got back. Tim stared at him, memorizing every detail of how he looked. Bruce was tired, worn, and honed to the razor's edge. It showed in his eyes, the set of his mouth and the way he held his hands very still by his sides, as if afraid that touching would make them all disappear into a puff of smoke.

"Bruce," Tim said.

Tim strode over and grasped his upper arm, unable to stay away any longer. Bruce flinched very slightly but the grim set of his mouth relaxed a little. He could hear Steph starting to giggle with delight. Clark was all but hovering behind Bruce with a huge grin on his face.

"I knew you weren't dead," Tim said. "I knew you'd been sent back in time. Welcome home."

Bruce chuckled and suddenly Dick was there, crushing them both in a hug. He'd removed the cowl at some point. Damian was babbling and then Steph tackle-hugged them all, nearly knocking them from their feet. Clark laughed and supported them easily. In the middle of it Bruce's arm wound around Tim's waist, squeezing gently before he disentangled himself.

"Tell me what's happened," Bruce ordered. "Tell me what I've missed."

There was something distant and disengaged in his eyes. Tim nodded and went to the computer where he'd set up a log of events a long while back. He'd do whatever it took to help Bruce reengage with them. He was home. That was all that counted for now.

Jason's escape from prison would have to wait for now.


End file.
